Love Comes in A Striped Suit
by Lucia Geuse
Summary: Movieverse. Layla has one more year left before she's done haunting, but a new couple moved in and now she needs help. She calls in BJ to give her a hand, but will she also give him her heart? Rated M, as of Chapter, well whenever the heavy cussing starts
1. Hidden Glimpses

**Disclaimer: You know the drill. The characters that you know don't belong to me. The characters that you don't know, do belong to me. Right now that's just Layla, but I'm sure there's more to come.**

I have to give props to London1 for coming up with this idea on the Forum. This is what I came up with and I think it's a start to something pretty cool. Read and Review, let me know what you think.

Prewarning right now. There's a little BJ action in this first chapter, but mainly I wanted to build up Layla's situation. There will be major BJ action in Chapter 3 and after that. R&R!

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Layla sat in the window and stared out. It didn't seem fair then and it still doesn't seem fair now. She should have never died that night, but she did. The bullet was meant for the man who had robbed the bank, but the police officer was nervous and his aim was off. She was merely a bystander walking out of the market place when the bullet struck her straight through the heart. 

She was still angry at the way they made her sound in the newspapers. Layla McCormick, died from an accidental shooting at the age of twenty one, a spinster. She was an educated woman who happened to be over the age of eighteen and not married, so therefore she was labeled a spinster. It didn't matter that she spoke three languages and knew enough about other cultures to write her own books. She wasn't married, therefore she was worthless in the eyes of Society. She hated it, but since she was dead, there was nothing she could do about it.

She laid back and remembered the first time she stepped out of her house and stepped into Saturn. She was petrified when the creature came up and wanted to eat her. She was lucky that she was able to find the door back so quickly and not die again from being eaten.

When the first family moved into her house she felt violated, but she didn't really know what she should do. It seemed so wrong that random people could invade her privacy and come and go as they pleased when she couldn't even leave her home. She flipped through the book for the Recently Deceased, but it tell her much besides the fact that she would have to remain in her home for one hundred and twenty five years until she was released. All she wanted to do was to be left alone.

She eventually found her niche at haunting a few months in when she just couldn't take it anymore. The children could always see her, but she couldn't bring herself to scare little children so she didn't. She would wave and smile to them and when they saw her they'd wave back. Sometimes she would sit and talk with them and they would tell her their darkest secrets. Sometimes they were silly like one girl who knew that her doll was actually magical and others were dark, darker than anything she wanted to imagine or hear. Those who had the darkest secrets were protected by her, she gave them vengeance when they had none and would eventually run the people out of her house. She would have a few months of solace before the next family would move in and she'd have to start all over again.

She learned a few things over the years like when the new fashion trends would come out. She would use her powers to transform herself into what was fashionable. Just because she was dead and no one, but children could see her, didn't mean she had to look like she was dead. When television came out she was fascinated and would sit and watch it for a little bit. It was amazing to see things come alive in the small box. After one family left in a big hurry they left their television and she took it up to the only part of her house where she felt comfortable.

The attic was her sanctuary that kept her sane over the years when the families would be downstairs remodeling and redecorating her house. She couldn't stand watching her house be destroyed so she kept the attic as haunted as possible. Eventually she began to lose track of the years and it wasn't until Autumn of the year 2007 that she realized that she only had one more year to go before she was free.

She sat in a small corner of her space for days just thinking about what she was going to do when she was released from her house and wander around the afterlife without fear. She had a permanent smile for weeks after that, giving the family that was living in her home a rest for a while she floated around. At least she still had her good looks. Just because she had never been married when she was alive didn't mean that she was never asked. She simply chose her studies over any sort of relationship. It had taken her a while, but about twenty years or so after she died and she had nothing to do, but think she came to the realization that she never had a relationship because she was deathly afraid that no one would want her. She closed herself off and just thought of herself as a pretty package with not a lot inside except for random facts.

She might not have been able to see herself in the mirror, but she did remember what she looked like before she died. That was the best thing about being dead. She loved the fact that she would never age and see herself grow old as wrinkles and age spots came. She noticed that her skin had a blue tinge to it, but she'd always been pale, so she didn't mind too much. She did remember that her eyes were a red violet, sort of plum color and was always told that they were exotic. Sometimes when she would walk by she would hear the word "witch" from other women. She just ignored them and kept her head held high.

When she realized she would be able to leave the house the thing that she was the most excited about was able to see other ghosts and be able to talk to them. She was starved for some actual conversation with someone who was older than five. Even though it seemed a little silly, even to herself she began to wonder if ghosts dated and got married to each other. A part of her regretted closing herself off when she was alive and that part was growing as the loneliness sat in. She was almost one hundred and fifty years old and maybe it was time that she let someone else in. The only thing that worried her was the thought that maybe she was too late and she wouldn't know how to.

The house was empty for some time now and she was enjoying the peace and quiet. Not having to haunt for a while and watch some television. She curled up in her chair and watched a few shows that she'd seen a hundred times before she fell asleep.

Beetlejuice stared at the woman as she slept, curled up in the chair in the most uncomfortable position he'd ever seen. How she was able to fall asleep in that position, he'd never know. He'd been checking up on her from time to time ever since she was newly dead. He always loved it when he found pretty ones and this one was definitely a looker. He first came across her when he could feel her frustration and fear when she had first died and the first family had moved into her home. He was just about to leave her his calling card when her anger erupted and she'd managed to scare them away herself. After that she didn't need any help and managed to do her job. She was a strong one, keeping most people away and he had to admit that she was actually pretty good.

He couldn't help himself though and throughout the years he'd pop back in on her and see whether or not she'd changed. Now that she was asleep he could look his fill of her, which he did. He never smoked around her, not because he wanted to be polite, but because he knew that she would smell the smoke and wake up and he didn't want her to.

Now that it was the twenty first century she was dressed in a pair of dark wash jeans, black button up blouse and a pair of black leather boots, simple and clean, her style mixed with the new trends. Every time he'd popped in on her she was either in black or white, very little color and the color that she did wear was dark. It suited him just fine as he dusted off his own black and white striped suit. He loved the color of her hair, so deep it was almost black, but not quite. It was the darkest red that he'd ever seen, so dark that it shimmered like blood at night and it moved him. Her delicate features and sleek body appealed to him the most. She wasn't very tall, maybe five feet five inches if she stretched, but not much more and she was curvy. He could tell the moment he'd seen her for the first time. He loved curves on a woman, not just straight up and down like a plank of wood.

She had a sort of athletic body, toned and flat. It looked like she'd spent years running, but he knew that wasn't the case. It must have been all that work trying to get into the getup she had to wear when she was alive. The only thing he didn't know about her was the color of her eyes, her name and what she was like when she wasn't angry or upset.

He wondered if he'd ever get to know those things about her as he faded away. He felt her coming out of her sleep and stirring. He didn't want her to catch him staring at her while she was asleep. He was glad to see that she had embraced the changes over the years, unlike a lot of ghosts who clung to their own time period with a vengeance. Then again, if he was forced to wear a corset and bustle he'd want to change out of it too.


	2. The New Couple

Layla hated it when her house was up for sale. All those people walking through her house, looking in closets and measuring floors. It irritated her to no end when they'd go poking through her house and talking about what needed to be changed. The realtors would try to come up with all the positives, but people wanted new and fresh. They didn't care if the crown molding was real wood, they wanted to tear it down and do different wall treatments. She felt the hair on the back of her neck stand up and she'd spook all of them, shaking windows and walls. She did have to admit that she'd gotten a few laughs out of it as well. She got the most laughs out of the young yuppie couples who looked around.

"Oh it's so darling, just the perfect little historical home. We just need to redecorate..." They'd always say the same things and she'd just walk through them giving them chills or flicking the lights on and off. She really did like being a realtor's worst nightmare and she loved every second of that particular bonus that she got. After a few months of her home being listed it began to get stale and people weren't coming around as often, which suited Layla just fine. She liked the peace and quiet. She was able to wander around her house without going through somebody or having to spook someone. She'd been doing it for so long that she was beginning to get tired of it and just wanted out. It wasn't that it was hard, it was just hard to share her space. She'd never been one to do that.

When her parents died they left her the house so she was able to continue her studies without having the fear of being kicked out, so she had been alone for most of her life, but there was a difference of wanting to be left alone and being lonely. Layla was desperately lonely for someone to talk to, but that didn't mean that she wanted to share her house with another family or couple.

What she really wanted was to have another ghost to talk to. Someone who would know what it was like to be stuck someplace and never have the opportunity to get out. She sighed and looked out the window watching the rain start to fall and the fears that she'd always had began to creep back into her mind. What if she did find someone, but they didn't want to talk to her. She'd never really gained much attention other than some double looks from men when she was living, but if she sat down to talk to them at some party her parents made her attend when she was alive they always seemed bored with her and it began to make her feel self conscious. She remembered her mother patting her arm and telling her that all she had to do was keep her pretty mouth shut and she'd catch a husband in no time.

It just didn't seem fair that the only way to catch a husband was to never talk. Layla wanted to talk with someone about the things that she knew, not just keep it tucked in her mind. All of the other girls that she knew had long since been married when Layla still had her nose in books and they would tell her how happy they were. Layla just needed to stop doing all the inappropriate things. A wife should be tolerant and obedient one of her friends told her. Layla wrinkled her nose at that and shook her head.

"I don't think I could ever do that. It seems so wrong that a woman should have to do those things. I mean, it is the turn of the twentieth century, we're almost 1900. Shouldn't we have some sort of say?" She asked. The other women just smiled politely and drank their tea. They pitied her, Layla could smell it a mile away and she would begin to look in the mirror and not like what she saw. She began to see nothing but a shell, empty and damaged somehow and she was the one who damaged herself. Layla shook the thoughts and memories away as she looked outside and went to pick up one of her favorite books that she had stashed away in the attic.

Layla was sitting in the window seat reading when she heard the familiar sound of a moving truck backing up.

"What in the world?" She said to herself looking out of the window. She saw two people walking through the doors and she ran down the stairs of the attic to the second floor and leaned over the railing.

"I'm telling you Sloane, this is just the house that we want. We were so lucky to find it over the internet and buy it. It needs a little work, but everyone in the city will just love it. We'll be all the talk." A woman said taking off her sunglasses. She was dressed in dark grey and diamonds, her dark brown hair down in a bob and tan from hours of laying in a tanning booth. Layla narrowed her eyes as she watched them.

"I just don't know Rowena. It seems so nineties to do the whole historical home thing. We just should have built our own home, it would have been much nicer than this little dump. I still can't believe you persuaded me into buying this thing." Sloane said wrinkling his nose. He was the perfect stereotype of the typical bank broker. Dark hair slicked back and wearing a sweater and a pair of slacks, a cell phone strapped to his hip.

"Oh come on Sloane, it will be fun to gut this place out and start from scratch. We'll have to take out all of the wood of course. I'm thinking a concrete floor would be fun, and just look at the walls that molding needs to go and they need to be painted. What do you think about lime green and grey with lots and lots of track lighting?" She said walking around. Layla gripped the hand carved stair rail and shook. As she shook the entire house began to shake and they stopped to look up, looking right through Layla.

"Is there a train station around here?" Sloane asked. Rowena looked around and raised her eyebrows.

"I don't think so, maybe it was an earthquake." She said shrugging.

"In the Northeast Rowena? I don't think so, jeez it's cold in here. We'll have to call and get the heat turned back on." He said rubbing his arms when Layla walked down the stairs and straight through him.

"I don't think it's that cold Sloane, you must have just gotten a chill." Rowena said.

Over the next few months Layla tried all of her little tricks that had worked for her before. She'd flip the lights on and off, make the house shake and trashing their things. Nothing seemed to shake these people. Layla was getting more and more frustrated with them and tried to think of anything she could to get them out of her house.

"Do you think it could be something else Sloane?" Rowena asked over their morning smoothies and non fat, whole wheat toast.

"Like what Rowena?" He asked.

"I don't know, something...supernatural?" She said.

"YES!" Layla screamed right next to her.

"Get real Rowena, you know there's no such thing as ghosts." He said and finished the last of his drink. "Listen, I'm going for a jog then I've got to head into the office. Are the painters coming back to finish the job today?"

"Yes, they should be here by nine this morning."

"Good, we need this place finished before this weekend. I've got a lot of clients coming up for our housewarming party. Make sure you call the caterer and give them the instructions for my diet." He said.

"Of course Dear." Rowena said. Layla sat there frustrated beyond belief at these people. She knew that they wouldn't hear her when she yelled, but still, they should have heard something.

As soon as Sloane left Rowena ran to the computer and started searching. Layla just stayed in the kitchen, twirling fruit up in the air before she threw it against the now lime green wall. Let Rowena clean up the mess and maybe they'd get the hint.

"Yes, I'd like you to investigate my house, I think we might have ghosts." Layla heard Rowena say in the other room. She rolled her eyes and waited while Rowena came back into the kitchen and stopped when she saw the apples and bananas splattered against the wall. "This afternoon would be better." She said and hung up the phone. She stood in the middle of the kitchen and looked around. Layla slid up onto the counter and kicked her legs while Rowena looked.

"I know that you're here. Even though Sloane doesn't want to believe it. I'm getting some ghost hunters to come in here and take a look." She said to nothing in particular.

"Go ahead, see what they find." Layla said at the blank faced Rowena. Layla was hoping to see at least a little fear in Rowena, but all she could see was hope in the woman's eyes. Layla furrowed her brow as she looked. Hope? That's not right, these people were stranger than any other family that moved into her house. She just shook her head and headed back up to the attic.

Layla flipped through the channels when someone burst into her room.

"What on Earth?" She said when a group of people came through with all sorts of electrical gadgets that were beeping and whistling.

"Oh yeah, you've got a ghost in here all right." One of them said, pushing their thick glasses up their nose.

"I knew it. I just knew it and Sloane said there was no such thing." Rowena said excited. She'd always wanted to live in a haunted house and now she got her wish. Layla skirted around them and slipped back down the stairs to wait and see what they had to say.

"Yes Ma'am there's something here all right. What has it been doing?" A man asked taking out a notepad and pencil.

"Well mostly it's turning on and off lights, shaking the house, throwing stuff around. That type of thing." Rowena said off handedly. Layla stood back and listened to all of her hard work be tossed aside.

"Hmm, well it sounds like they either want you out of their house or maybe there's just been too many changes for them. What have you done recently?"

"Well we've remodeled." Rowena said.

"That's probably it Ma'am. I'm sure once they get used to the changes everything will settle down." He said.

"NO! Things won't change." Layla screamed at no one in particular and made the lights flicker on and off. They just looked around and shrugged.

"The ghost is upset right now, but it shouldn't be anything that should worry you too much." They said.

"Thank you so much." Rowena said. Layla just stood there, her jaw slacked and looked at all of them. It just wasn't fair that they ignore her. She walked back up and threw herself on the bed trying to figure out what to do.

They had been talking about an important dinner party that they were going to have this weekend. Something about clients coming over? Layla sat up and began to think furiously. It would be the perfect opportunity to pull something huge, but what? She hopped up and started pacing back and forth and plotting. She didn't notice the flyer that was on the table next to her bed waiting for her to come and read it.


	3. Help!

Layla bid her time until that Friday when she heard the cars come roaring up to the house and watched all the people climb out in black tie attire. She rolled her eyes, it would figure that they couldn't have just a regular dinner party, but something extravagant. She shrugged her shoulders, why not? And snapped her fingers and a long, slinky black dress was on her. She smiled as she went down to join the party.

"Rowena, this place is just too darling. The things you've managed to do with the architecture is stunning." A large woman said walking around.

"Yes, you should have seen it when we first got it. It was horrible." Sloane said walking up. Layla frowned and made his glass slip out of his hand. "Oops, butter fingers I suppose." He said and nodded over at one of the waiters to clean it up and get him a new glass. Layla rolled her eyes and continued to walk through people giving them chills.

Finally when everyone was there chattering away she decided it was time to make her show. She shut off the music that they had playing and made the lights go out.

"What's going on?" A few people whispered. Layla smiled to herself and began knocking out everyone's champagne causing it to smash on the floor and then burst all of the bottles so the champagne went flying everywhere. She heard a few people give out a startled gasp and then made the entire room grow cold, so cold that the guests could see their breath. When the windows frosted up she wrote on them with her finger.

"Get Out." Everyone said, repeating the words that she wrote. Then she let one light shine on herself as she sipped a glass of champagne, knowing that no one could see her. Everyone was staring at each other and she just knew that they'd go screaming at any moment.

"I told you this house was haunted." Rowena said pulling on Sloane's sleeve.

"So it would seem." He said and continued to stare at the champagne flute that was just floating in the air.

"This is wonderful." The large woman said, clapping her hands.

"What?" Layla asked to the crowd.

"Do you think it would do something exciting like this for all of your parties? I mean can you make it come out for certain events. It certainly is a crowd pleaser." The woman said as she walked up to Rowena. Layla's jaw fell open as she saw that everyone was murmuring excitedly about what would happen next. She shook her head and snapped her fingers setting everything back to normal and began to walk back upstairs.

"Aw, it's over?" A few people said, disappointed. Layla just picked up her skirts and ran up the rest of the stairs into the attic. She flung herself on her bed and put her arm over her eyes. What was she going to do now? Now that she showed them all what she could do they wanted her to come like a dog and do tricks for them. She hated them, all of them. Those know-it-all's who thought that everything was a metaphor for everything else. She closed her eyes and let out a sigh.

"Hello?" Rowena said walking into the attic. Layla took her arm off her eyes and opened them up.

"Go away." She spat out.

"Mister or Miss ghost, whoever you are." Rowena said walking into the attic farther. "I know that you're here because it's the coldest place in the ho use."

"I said go away." Layla said again then sighed knowing that Rowena couldn't hear her.

"I just wanted to say that you are welcome to stay in our house and we won't try to get you out." She said in a singsong voice.

"Are you kidding me?" Layla said hopping up off of the bed and standing right in front of Rowena. She shuddered and smiled. "You're the one's who are in my house. And you're NOT welcome, so get out." She said, putting her hands on her hips.

"If you ever want to come down at our parties and let us know that you're there, you'd make a lovely addition and a wonderful conversation starter." She said and walked back out of the room. Layla stood there with her mouth hanging open. She sunk into her chair and wanted to cry.

"I throw everything I've got at them and they think it's a joke." She said miserably and put her head in her hands. "I need help." She mumbled and looked back up. She noticed the piece of paper on the table and raised an eyebrow. Going over to pick it up she read it, then read it again. It seemed like it was the answer to her prayers. She smiled as she tapped the paper against her lips and began to think. If this ghost does what he says he can do she would get rid of those awful people and hopefully spend the rest of the year in peace. It couldn't hurt just to call out his name and see if it worked. It said on the paper, just three times and he'd appear. Why not? She asked herself and she couldn't come up with an answer.

"Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice." She said in almost a whisper.

"Hi ya Babes." A gruff voice said behind her. Layla jumped and turned around. It was the first time someone had actually addressed her in over one hundred years. He could see her and she could see him and she had to refrain from running up and giving him a hug, just to make sure he could see her. He was pale, as pale as she was and had dark black circles around each eye. He also had, what looked like, a bit of mold growing around his wild, white blonde hair which was standing straight on end. He was leaning against the wall in his black and white stripped suit and took out a cigarette to light it.

"Hello." She stammered out when she took her fill of looking at him, feeling embarrassed.

"Hello yourself. Nice dress." He said looking her up and down. He had tried to guess the color of her eyes a hundred thousand times, but he never would have guess they were a deep red violet. When he looked close he could see a ring of deep maroon around her pupils that faded into the deep purple. With that black dress on he could see every line, every curve of her body and it was enough to make him sweat.

"So you called for a bio-exorcism. Let's talk shop." He said and sat down on the edge of her bed. Layla just nodded and sat down next to him trying to snap herself out of her trance.

"I'm sorry, I just haven't actually talked to anyone in so long that I'm not really sure what to say." She stammered. He smiled at her and shook his head.

"Right, sorry. I guess I'm used to it by now. You're still stuck in your haunting phase right?"

"Yeah, I've got another year and then I'm free." She said, smiling.

"Ready to get out?" He said taking a drag.

"Desperately. I'm so tired of this house and these people and..." She started. It was all so much. She was so tired and lonely that she started to feel the tears well up in her eyes.

"Hold it Babes, before you go crying all over my suit. You've been here for almost one hundred and twenty five years. It's a long time and I know, you're probably starved for contact with someone else." He said. Layla tried to dry her eyes and nodded. "When I was finished with it I ran around like a five year old I was so happy to get out of that place and not go straight to Saturn. Sandworms, gotta hate'em." He said. She smiled a little bit and nodded.

"There ya go Babes, a little smile." He said.

"When you were released? How old are you exactly?" She asked and shifted to where she was leaning into him, focused on what he was saying. He smiled at her, watching her act like an eager child was charming.

"Old enough, I lived through the plague if that gives you a good idea." He said and crushed his cigarette out on the floor, stomping it with his black boot. "That good enough for ya?"

"I suppose that's enough. So can you help me get these people out of my house?" She asked.

"Why do you need help now? What's so different about these people than the rest of them that you threw out. You've been doing all right for so long and now these ones trip you up?" He asked her. Layla drew back a little and looked at him. She had been startled by him at first, but she could see glimmers of charm in him and, if you got past the mold, he was rather attractive and she felt it pull on her.

"I tried everything I could think of and they either ignored it or they loved it. I finally brought out everything I had tonight and they just ate it up. They actually wanted me to come down and be their little dog doing tricks to entertain their guests." She spat out in disgust. He looked down smiling before looking back up at her.

"I know the kind, had a couple of them about twenty years ago actually. Called in for a bio-exorcism when the couple that were doing their haunting had made the couple laugh and entertain their guests at a party. When I came along they were expecting a show and I gave it to them." He said and then frowned. "Went pretty good, but when I tried to get my end of the bargain filled they ended up pulling the rug out from underneath my feet." He said with an obvious amount of anger.

"What happened?" Layla asked. Beetlejuice didn't respond immediately as he thought about the Deetzes and Maitlands all those years ago.

"Huh? Oh well I was trying to get out, permanently, but in order to do that I've got to marry a living person and well, she decided to renegotiate after I fixed everything for her." He said. It was mostly true, he just neglected to say that he'd sort of forced the girl into that position and he did drop her father from the second story. Last time he'd heard about her she was living in New York somewhere with a couple kids and a husband.

"Well I don't know exactly what I could offer you. I'm not living you know." Layla said blinking her eyes at him.

"There's other ways of payment." He said and gave his most charming smile. Layla had to admit that she was charmed and she smiled herself, cocking her head to one side and letting her hair fall down over her shoulder.

"Whatcha lookin' at Babes?" He asked

"Are you sure you can scare them away?" She asked smiling mischievously. "I mean, you don't seem that scary to me. In fact I think you're growing on me." She said. The minx was trying to get him and he smiled at her.

"This scary enough for ya?" He asked. Layla watched as his entire body seemed to open up and everything was falling out. Her face changed from amusement to horror as she screamed and tried to back away slipping and falling off of the bed and into the corner of the room. As suddenly as he'd done that, he closed everything up and smiled down at her. "Scary enough for ya?" He asked. All Layla could do was sit there and stare up at him, her eyes wide with fear. She just nodded her head slightly. She knew that if she tried to speak, she'd just end up babbling. He chuckled and held out his hand for her.

"Don't worry Babes, I do that stuff only if I really have to. Normally I'm scary enough on my own." He said. Layla looked at his hand and wondered if she had the strength to stand up. She held out her hand and he grasped it hauling her up hard enough for her to slam into his body. She knew that he'd done it on purpose, but when she was close to him she felt hard muscle beneath his suit and a slight belly, but not bad. He felt nice against her and she stayed there a little longer than she'd intended to, desperate for some sort of contact.

Beetlejuice couldn't help himself when he'd hauled her up from the ground. He wanted to feel her. She was so soft and smooth, delicate like a flower against him. The material of the dress she wore was so thin he could feel every single cure of her skin and especially her breasts, which her heaving at that particular moment.

"Do you think it will work?" She asked as she slowly pulled herself away from him and looked him straight in the eyes. With her heels on she was about the same height and only had to look up a few inches to see into his clear emerald green eyes.

"Sure it will Babes, I come one hundred percent guaranteed." He said and smiled down at her, looking into her incredible eyes.

"Layla." She said.

"Huh?"

"My name, it's Layla."

"Pretty name, course you already know mine."

"Right, that's one thing that confuses me. If saying your name three times brings you here, does that mean that saying it three more times will send you back?"

"You got it."

"So what am I supposed to call you? I certainly don't want to send you back." She said. Beetlejuice smiled at her. So she didn't want him to leave her huh? This was going to be interesting.

"I suppose you can just call me BJ." He said.

"Okay. Well then BJ, how do you propose to get these people out of my house?" She asked raising an eyebrow and putting her hands on her hips.

"I guess you'll just have to see Layla." He said and smiled down at her.


	4. Compliments

To all of you who reviewed...Thanks!! I love em'.

As a side note to Lexijake14: Yeah the new couple are like Charles and Delia. Sort of a stereotypical yuppie couple, but I did want a hint of familiarity about them. I'm debating on whether or not I'm going to develop their characters more and make them more than just the stereotype. I'll have to think about it. And Layla's eyes aren't crimson, they're a plum purple with crimson around the pupil. Rare and exotic yes, but not supernatural. I've seen them myself. I love the idea of purple eyes, it just seems so beautiful. Wish I had them ;)

Anyway back to the story: I had so much fun with this chapter, seriously. I hope you enjoy reading it and Review!

Keegan Eavan

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"When?" She asked, excited to get started. He saw the child like excitement on her face and smiled.

"Anyone tell ya that you're cute when you're excited?" He asked taking out another cigarette and bent down to light it. When he looked back up at her he saw that she'd withdrawn away from him. The excitement that had been in her eyes was extinguished. "What's wrong Babes?" He asked taking a deep drag and blowing it out.

Layla looked away from him and turned to look out the window. She was quiet for a while before she said anything.

"When I was living and got excited about something and wanted to tell someone they would just pat my head and dismiss me. One time I overheard my parents telling some of their friends that they had hoped that I would grow out of this phase, but it didn't look like I was going to. They said that I just wasn't normal like the other girls. After that I learned not to become excited about things and not to let people know when I was." She said keeping her back to him. Beetlejuice looked at her and furrowed his brow. He'd meant it to be a compliment and she took it the wrong way. He ran his hand through his hair and took another drag.

"Listen Babes, I like the fact that you're excited and you are cute. Hell, you're cute even when you're not excited. I bet you could be on the worst day of PMS and have the pneumonia and you'd still be cute." He said, trying to make her feel better.

Layla turned her head around to look at him, a small smile in the corner of her mouth.

"Really?" She asked.

"You're fishing for compliments Babes and you know you are. Fine, yeah really. You know you're hot and you don't need to be constantly reminded." He said giving her a lazy smile. She turned all the way so that she was completely facing him.

"Yeah I was fishing for compliments and thank you. And by the way, yes I do need to be reminded because, if you haven't noticed, I haven't been able to talk to anyone over the age of five in over one hundred years. Compliments have been few and far between, so feel free to hand them out whenever you please." She said, thrusting her chin out a little bit for emphasis. He just shook his head and gave a little chuckle. He was glad that she bounced back so quickly after her little downfall. He liked her with a little fire. One thing that she did have was a hell of a lot of spirit and he was curious to see how far she would allow herself to let it go since it sounded like she had it stomped out of her.

"Okay Babes, I give. I promise to give you little ego boosts here and there if you do the same for me." He said holding up his hand in surrender. Layla looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Something tells me that you have more than enough ego and it doesn't need to be stroked." She said raising an eyebrow. Beetlejuice couldn't help himself, he laughed and it made her smile.

"More than likely, but hey, if you wanna take then you gotta dish. There must be something that you like about me or you woulda sent me packin' a while ago." He said.

"Now who's the one fishing?" She asked.

"Come on Babes, don't make me beg, it's degrading." He said smiling easily at her. She laughed and shook her head.

"Okay, okay. I won't make you beg. I think you're funny...and a little charming." She said.

"That's it? That sucks, you gotta do better than that."

"Well you just said that I was 'cute'. A puppy is cute, a car is cute. That's not much better." She shot back.

"I also said that you were hot if you recall." He said.

"Hmm, only when you said that I was fishing." She said. She was a firecracker and he loved it.

"You're a sharp one Babes, I'll admit to that. Okay, I got a great compliment for ya."

"I'm all ears." She said, leaning forward to give him her full attention.

"When you called for me and I saw you in that dress. I just about had to swallow my tongue or I would have rammed it down your throat." He said. She shook her head. It was a compliment, in a sleazy sort of way. "Now you Babes." He said and leaned back, putting his arms behind his head.

"Okay. When I first saw you I had to make myself stay still or I would have ran into you and wrapped my arms around you just to make sure you were real and not a figment of my imagination." She said.

"I think we both need to work on our complimenting skills." He said making her laugh and nod.

"Well I've been stuck by myself basically for the past one hundred plus years. What's your excuse?" She asked a smile still playing on her face.

"Haven't seen anyone I wanted to give a compliment to." He said, his tone suddenly serious. Layla was floored, that really was a compliment and a really nice one too.

"Thank you." She said, suddenly embarrassed and turned away, swallowing hard. "Wow, I uh, better get out of this dress huh? I probably look like I'm ready for a ball." She said, changing the subject. He just shrugged and lounged.

"Suit yourself Babes." He said. She nodded and snapped herself in a pair of jeans and a plain white shirt. It felt wonderful to get those heels off her feet. She settled herself on her bed and crossed her legs.

"So, now what?" She asked.

"That's up to you Babes."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, you've got all the power here, really. If you want to send me packing you can, I have no control over that. If you want to keep me here, then you just don't say my name. I'm here for as long as you want me to be."

"Okay." She said, not really understanding.

"Look I'm telling you right now that I won't go down there to spook those people off just yet. They're still talking about your performance, so it wouldn't do much good for me to go down there." He said. It wasn't really true. He knew he could go down there and spook them off easily, but he wanted more time with her. "If that doesn't work for you then you know what to do." He said and shrugged like it didn't matter one way or the other.

Layla didn't want him to go, she knew that he knew that. She did want those people out of her house, but she also wanted to talk with him. She needed the company and strangely enough she wanted his company.

"I suppose it wouldn't hurt if we didn't get started right away." She said. He smiled at her and felt the tension go from his body. He hadn't realized that he'd tensed up so much waiting for her answer.

"Nope, it wouldn't. So what do you want to do?" He asked and raised an eyebrow.

"I don't know, talk I guess." She said.

"Bout' what?"

"How did you get into this line of work?"

"Fell into it. Shit, I get paid to scare people off, how cool is that?" He asked her, smiling. Layla frowned at him.

"Payment. I asked you before, but you just made a joke. What is the payment to get these people out?" She asked. She didn't have much and she was worried that he'd take off if she couldn't give him what he wanted.

"Depends on what you have." He said and shrugged. He didn't really care about getting paid from her. He knew what he wanted, but he also knew that she'd probably freak if he just blurted it out. He'd have to coax her, little by little before she was ready.

"Not much. I've got some jewelry and a television, but that's about it."

"How old is that thing anyway?" He asked looking at the television.

"Oh, I think it was nineteen eighty or so when the family who was living here took off without it." Layla said and shrugged.

"It's a dinosaur." He said and snapped his fingers to produce a flat screen plasma. "Now you're up to speed Babes." He said. Layla got up to look at it.

"That's incredible. I never thought about doing that." She said and smiled. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it." He said shrugging. "Well since you said you wanted to talk, let's talk." He said and crossed his legs at the ankles, stretching out.

"What's it like? Being able to move around as you please?" Layla asked, going back to the bed and laying down on her stomach, propping herself up on her elbows. He smiled at her, she really did act like a little girl sometimes and it was charming and refreshing to see.

"Well I can't exactly move around as I please. When I'm summoned, I have to go, but other than that. It's all right, not as good as the real world, but not bad."

"You're a lot freer than I am."

"Not for long. You'll see, a year will fly by and you'll be able to do a hell of a lot more than I can." He said. Layla heard the bitterness in his voice and frowned.

"Can't you go anywhere in the afterlife?"

"Sure, I can do that, but I can't go into the real world unless summoned and when they do summon me I have to go."

"Why is that?" Layla asked, a little confused.

"Bureaucratic bullshit." He said and looked down to see that the cigarette that he had been smoking was now nothing but ash. He shrugged and took out another one, lighting it and took a deep drag.

"Well does that mean that it will happen to me too? Will I have to be summoned to do whatever people want me to?"

"Nah Babes, you'll do fine. You're not a bad boy like I am." He said and gave her a sly smile.

"Oh I see. You did this to yourself then." She said and smiled.

"You got it. I don't like to follow the rules, so they made it so I had to. Like I said, bureaucratic bullshit."

"So isn't there anything you can do to get out of it?" She asked. He smiled at her and took a drag on his cigarette.

"As far as I know," He said and blew out the smoke, making sure it didn't go in her face. "The only thing is to get married to someone who's still got a pulse. Other than that, I don't think there is."

"What exactly did you do to get yourself into so much trouble?" She asked. She could smell a story behind that and she wanted to know. He looked at her and gave a small smile. God she was a curious one, not that he minded. One of his favorite things to talk about was himself and if she wanted to listen, hell, even is she didn't he'd tell her.


	5. Oops

Aww, I love your guys' reviews. Makes me want to continue on. :)

Well I had to come up with some reason why BJ can't say his own name and this is what I came up with.

Hope you like and let me know!

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"Aw, you don't wanna hear about that Babes." He said.

"Yes I do." Layla said pulling herself back up to sit on her legs and leaned forward, her hair falling around her shoulders. "Tell me, please?" She asked. He couldn't help it, he laughed at her and lounged a little bit more, relaxing with her.

"Well, since you asked so nicely, I guess I can relive it for ya." He said and put his arms behind his head.

"Good, I want to hear it. So, how did you get in so much trouble?" Layla asked.

"I was always a bad boy Babes," He started.

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me." She said. He chuckled at her and shook his head.

"It shouldn't. Anyway, I pulled a lot of shit, pranks and crap. Ya know, just screwin' around. I eventually pulled somethin' on the wrong person. You should know who Juno is right?" Layla furrowed her brow and shook her head.

"No, I don't."

"What? You didn't go into the waiting room and see Juno when you died?" He asked and watched her just shake her head.

"Was I supposed to?" She asked, starting to get a little worried.

"You don't have to, most new ghosts do because they want to know what they are supposed to do."

"I just read the book and figured it out on my own I suppose." Layla said and shrugged.

"Well aren't you just the star student." He teased. She rolled her eyes and laid down on her side, getting more comfortable. Beetlejuice watched her as she laid on her side, propping herself up on her elbow and his pupils dilated with lust. He knew that she had no idea how alluring she was or else she wouldn't have put herself in such an enticing position.

"So who's this Juno person?" She asked, completely oblivious of Beetlejuice's lust filled gaze.

"Juno is kind of the head honcho. One of the top case workers that most ghosts go to. Anyway I was already on probation and I needed to get Juno to sign some papers. Going to the waiting room is a real bitch, there's nothing to do and the coffee's always cold. And well, I eventually got bored,"

"Like what? After five minutes?" Layla teased.

"Yeah, 'bout that." He said and smiled. "So I did what any normal ghost in my situation would do. I screwed around and decided to have some fun, so I took all the files and mixed them all up. Had a few laughs from it. When I got what I needed signed I didn't think about it again."

"So what happened?"

"Nothing much, at least for a while. They eventually figured out that I mixed up the files and I got a little visit from Juno. She reamed me out, said it took them months to get it all straightened out. She said that I had to work for her as punishment." He took out a cigarette and lit it and took a drag.

"So your punishment was working for her?" Layla asked, a little confused.

"Yeah, they knew I hated to work, and paper work is like hell anyway. I was basically her assistant, sort to speak. Had to do the shit she didn't want to deal with, she knew I hated it and I think that she liked that I hated it so much." He said with unmasked disgust. Layla giggled at him, which made him smile. He liked the way her voice rang out when she laughed.

"I bet that didn't last too long." She said. He blew out smoke and gave a lopsided grin.

"Long enough for me. I did as little as possible and got away with a lot of it, but I couldn't stand it, I had to do something."

"What exactly did you do?" She asked, a hint of wariness in her voice.

"You heard about the French Revolution?"

"Of course, who hasn't?" Layla asked.

"Yeah well, I kinda had a hand in, well starting it." He said taking another drag on his cigarette. Layla just looked at him and blinked a few times. She slowly got up from lounging to sit up straight. She opened her mouth and closed it a few times before she just shook her head.

"How?" She asked finally, looking at him through her lashes. He smiled and shrugged.

"Thought breaking into a prison might be kinda fun, was in France at the time and well, people just sort of followed." He said.

"Wow, that's pretty bad BJ." She said.

"Yeah well, they thought so too. That's why they put restrictions on my powers. See, I've got a little more juice than most ghosts, that's why I do this now. So after all that shit, now I can't even say my own goddamned name. And I'm stuck in the afterlife, can't go around the real world. Well, unless I marry a live chick." He said.

"So that's why? All of this?" Layla asked opening her arms and looked around.

"Yup, that's why Babes. So, still want me around after you know all my little secrets?" He asked, joking with her. He felt a lump grow in his throat when she didn't answer him right away. Layla got up from the bed and walked over to the window, looking out into the inky black sky. She supposed that it made sense that they'd restrict his power after that. "Babes, you're starting to scare me here." She heard him say. She turned around and was surprised to see a slightly worried look on his face. She couldn't help it and burst out laughing.

"The look on your face is priceless. I guess I can't fault you for something that happened, what? Over two hundred years ago? Besides, it would have happened eventually. It wouldn't be fair now would it?" She asked. Beetlejuice didn't want to admit the enormous amount of relief that he felt when she didn't send him packing.

"You know Babes, outta all the ghosts that have called me over the years, you're the first to actually want to talk to me. No one's ever asked before." He said. Layla smiled at him.

"Really? You'd think after they found out that you've been around for over six hundred years, they'd want to ask you all sorts of questions." She said. Beetlejuice smiled at her, she really was innocent.

"You're a rarity Babes, you know that? Most ghosts, well people too for that matter, just want what they want. They don't give it a rat's ass about me, just as long as I can spook whoever they want out." He shrugged. "I don't really care that much, but it's refreshing to be asked about. So, what about you Babes? We've talked about me, let's talk about you." She frowned a little bit at that.

"Well my life's pretty boring. I've just been lounging around here for over a century." She said and shrugged.

"Come on Layla, don't be so reluctant. I told you about me, well what you wanted to know anyway. Don't go clamming up on me now."

"You really don't want to know about me. I'm not that interesting." She said. She didn't want him to know that she was so empty inside. He could sense that something was wrong with her. She was closing up on him and he could feel it from a mile away. He got up from his chair and walked over to her. He put his hand on her shoulder and gave a small squeeze.

"The moment I saw you, I thought you were really interesting. Come on and tell me, let me decide." He said. She turned to look at him and gave a small smile. "There ya go. Now come on. You wanna sit on my lap and tell me a story?" He asked and raised his eyebrows. Layla laughed and pushed his chest away from her.

"Your nothing put a rutting old goat." She said, slightly embarrassed.

"You got it Babes and proud of it, come on." He coaxed and took her hand. She allowed herself to be pulled over to the chair. He sat down and patted his leg.

"You aren't serious are you?" She asked, standing next to the chair.

"I never joke when it comes to a gorgeous woman on my lap Babes." He said and gave her hand enough of a jerk to make her lose her balance and she fell into his lap. She squeaked and grabbed onto his neck to keep herself from falling onto the floor.

"That's not fair." She said and smiled, shaking her head.

"Oh yes it is Babes. I've been dying for you to be on my lap all night long." He said.

"Yeah, except for the fact that you're already dead." She said, but still didn't move off of him. He was enjoying her light weight on him and put his hand around her waist. He could smell her now that she was close and she had the best scent. Something with oak and vanilla and a little hint of moss.

"Well then I'm in luck then aren't I? Now come on and tell me about yourself." He said. Layla shifted a little bit and made herself more comfortable. She swung her legs over the arm of the chair and looked at her bare feet, her arm still around his neck. She could smell the smoke on him, but it didn't really bother her. It seemed to suit him just as his jacket and pants seemed to suit him and she liked it.


	6. Damaged

Thanks for the reviews! I get so inspired when I know that people want to hear more of my stories :) It helps seriously!

Okay so now that BJ's told her a little bit about him you know he'd never let her slide away with not talking about herself, so here it is.

Hope you like it and enjoy reading! Review!!! Please

Sidenote to Lexijake14: That's a really cool idea! I never even thought of it and I think I've figured out a way to make it work, but you'll just have to wait and see (smiles classic BJ smile) I think Beetlejuice is rubbing off on me, it is WAY too easy coming up with his lines. Should I be scared? ;)

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"You're just going to keep pushing me until I tell you aren't you?" Layla asked, still sitting in his lap. 

"You know it Babes, so better give in now, cause I can go on forever." He said, his hand resting slightly on her small waist. She looked at him and sighed.

"Okay, I fold, but I did warn you that I'm not that interesting." She said. What on earth was she going to tell him? "Where exactly do you want me to start?"

"How 'bout the beginning, I've got all the time in the world." He said. It was beginning to become a little uncomfortable for him with her sitting on him, he could feel her settling into his lap and he needed to keep reminding himself that getting a hard on was something that he probably shouldn't do with her. At least not yet. He smiled a little to himself which faded quickly when she shifted again.

"Quit doin' that Babes or I'm gonna throw you offa' me and have to take a cold shower." He said and nearly moaned when she looked at him. He could see the confusion in her face and wanted to shoot himself.

"What do you mean?" She asked.

"Never mind Babes, just start your story." He said in a tight voice.

"All right. I suppose I should start at the beginning. I was born in 1862 and the Civil War was happening, so for the first few years of my life I guess it was hard. I don't know much about it, other than what I've read because I was only three years old when it ended. My parents built this house in upstate New York. They both came from aristocratic families over in England. My father was the second son to an earldom and my mother was the daughter of a baron."

"Sounds pretty interesting so far." He said. Layla gave a small smile and nodded.

"Yeah well, that was also my parents, not me."

"Continue on then, let's get to the good parts." He said smiling at her. Layla just smiled and shook her head. Without thinking she rested her head down on his chest and stared at her feet.

"I was an only child. My mother told me countless times that I was a hard labor. She nearly died when she was having me. She liked to bring that up a lot. She wanted me to be grateful that I was born and I had to keep saying 'thank you mother.' whenever she did bring it up. My father stayed away from me mostly, I think that he wanted a son and when he had a daughter, he just ignored me. I spent most of my time with a nanny when I was little. Her name was Helga. She was from Germany."

"Did ya like her?" He asked.

"Yeah, about as much as I like the flu." Layla spat out making him chuckle. "She was downright mean. If I wanted to play with something she's knock it out of my hand and then tell me I had to go sit in the corner. If I asked her something and she didn't want to be bothered, she would slap me across the face. I spent a lot of time when I was little sitting in the corner of the room, staring at the walls. And if I wasn't doing that then I was learning how to read and write from Helga. If I got one thing wrong, even if it was curling a letter just right, she'd wrap me across the knuckles with a yard stick." She said. He had only been half paying attention to her, trying to ignore the huge amount of lust that was almost overwhelming him. When he heard the incredible hurt in her voice he focused all of his attention on what she was saying.

"Didn't your parents do anything about that?" He asked, his hand moving away from her waist to her shoulders, squeezing them protectively. She shook her head against his chest and didn't look up.

"They told me a happy child is a disciplined child and would tell me to do whatever Helga said." She said. He heard the almost watery tone that was in her voice, the emotions running high in her and for the first time in his, well ever, he felt an uncontrollable wave of anger and felt the urge to protect her.

"I'm sorry Babes, that's a shitty start to a life." He said. Layla didn't say anything for a while, she focused on her feet, trying to see them through the glaze of tears that had formed as she tried to make them go away. She hadn't thought about her early life in a long time and she remembered why.

"After that I sort of shut down. I didn't speak unless I was spoken to. I didn't eat until everyone else had eaten. I didn't draw, or paint or play like all of the other girls. I did what I was told to do and that was it. When it was time to start school I was excited, for the first time in my life I would be able to go out and just talk to other people without having Helga tower over me, threatening me. I couldn't sleep for days before I was to start attending, so excited about what I wanted to learn about first. On the first day of school I got up extra early to get ready for school and be one of the first girls there. I carefully brushed out my hair and braided it and picked out one of my best dresses. I was sitting in my playroom for Helga to come in and take me to school." She said.

"I bet you were a cute kid, so how did the other kids treat ya?" He asked.

"I never got to find out. When Helga walked into my room she told me that my parents decided against sending me to school and I would continue to be home schooled. I was crushed and I let it show on my face. When I looked up I could see that Helga had a smile on hers."

"Did you have that bitch all through schooling?"

"Yes, but the older I got the less she paid attention to me. Books and studying became my life. I was consumed in them because if I didn't have my nose in a book then Helga would have to pay attention to me and that was one thing I didn't want."

"Weren't you ever allowed out of the house Babes?" Beetlejuice asked. He had half a mind to find out where her parents were and give them the scare of their life.

"Of course. When I got older, my parents sent me to balls and parties to find myself a husband. I had just turned fifteen when my parents told me that it was time for me to get married and settle down, they were through with taking care of me."

"What? Fifteen, that's still a baby."

"It didn't matter much. The men looked at me at the balls, but when they would come over and talk to me, I would just keep to myself. After all of those years with Helga, how could I not? I kept getting older and my parents kept getting more and more frustrated that I hadn't gotten married and moved out of the house. When I overheard my parents saying that I wasn't normal I made a silent vow that I'd never get married because it would please them so much." She spat out. She hated her parents and Helga so much and that hatred had only grown over the years when she actually let herself reflect on her life.

"Babes, if I woulda seen you I woulda grabbed you and never let you go." He said. Layla turned her head to look at him and gave a small smile.

"Sure you would have." She said in a mocking tone.

"I haven't dropped you while you've been on my lap have I?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, that you haven't, but that doesn't mean that you would have acted any differently then the rest of the men that looked at me. They wanted me to coo all over them, but I just stared at them. One man even told me that no man would ever marry me because there was nothing inside of me. I either said yes or no and that was it. Short clipped answers that I had been taught for my whole life. That's when I knew that I had damaged myself."

"How in the hell did you damage yourself Layla?" He asked. Layla turned up her face when she heard the anger in his voice. She brought her eyebrows together in confusion.

"I shut myself down, no one else did that for me." She said. He slipped his arm underneath her knees and hauled her up when he stood up. She had to grab his neck and hang on tight when he got up from the chair. "What are you doing?" She asked. He didn't say anything, just walked over to the bed and flung her down on the mattress. "What did you do that for?" She asked looking up at him. Beetlejuice sat down on the bed where he'd thrown her and grabbed her hands, lacing her fingers with his. Layla looked down at their fingers woven together, his hand strong against her frail one.

"Layla, look at me." He commanded. She did and he saw those incredible eyes of hers. He never would have thought that he'd put someone before his own pleasures, but he also knew that he'd never get Layla in bed unless he was able to make her see that she wasn't damaged, especially by herself. "You didn't damage yourself." He said. Layla looked into his deep emerald eyes in question. How was it that he could be laughing and teasing her one minute then be completely serious the next. She'd just met him, but he was acting like he cared about her. That couldn't be possible, could it?

"Yes I did. I have accepted that over the years." She said. He just gripped her hands harder.

"No, you didn't. Those bastards who you had to live with made you act like that. You had no other choice from what I see. If you hadn't shut down yourself then you would have disappeared. I've seen the flickers of passion in you Babes and I love it. You need to embrace that part of you that you've been hiding. No one is going to slap you across your knuckles. Hell, you wouldn't have been able to spook all those people if you didn't have any fire in you." He said. He had to make her understand, he just had to.

"You mean to tell me that once I got out from underneath Helga and my parents I got fire?" She asked.

"You had fire in you all along Babes, but it was burning low. Once you were by yourself and not under anyone's control that fire was able to breath and it burst out. I've seen it, right here, tonight. You're quick and passionate and I love it." He said and saw the understanding start to settle in. She was so damn sexy that it just couldn't help himself. "I want it. I want you." He said thickly and pulled her into him.

Layla panicked for a second when he pulled her into him. She didn't know what to do and was terrified that she'd make a fool of herself. She felt him press his lips against hers and she froze.

He'd wanted her so badly that he didn't think, he just acted and now he'd scared her. Dammit.

"I'm sorry Babes." He said and ran his hand through his wild hair. She sat there and blinked at him. She had tasted so soft and sweet that he wanted her to open herself up to him. He wanted so much more from her, but she wasn't even close to ready yet and he'd jumped the gun. He knew that he'd have to keep working on her until she was ready to open up and he wanted to be there for it. He wanted her to open herself up to him and only him, he was selfish like that. He thought about that and had to smile to himself, even as he looked at her white face.

"You kissed me." She said, touching her fingertips to her lips. She could still feel the tingling that he'd given her.

"Yeah, I didn't think. Sorry I scared ya."

"You didn't scare me." She said and it was his turn to look at her in confusion.

"What exactly do you mean Babes?" He said.

"It's stupid." She said and turned away. He grabbed her hand to hold her in place.

"Tell me anyway." He said. She looked back at him.

"I just...I've never...that was my first kiss." She blurted out and felt humiliated.

"Don't worry Babes, we can practice all we want." He said and leaned forward, wanting more. She put her hand up to his chest.

"I don't think I'm quite ready to humiliate myself again right now." She said. He sighed and leaned back.

"Right, well since you've got all the control here, you just tell me when you're ready to try it again and I'll come running." He said nonchalantly. She raised an eyebrow at him and put her hands on her hips.

"What exactly makes you think that I'll call for you?" She asked and was shocked when he pounced on her, grabbing her wrists and pulling them over her head.

"You even think 'bout callin' anyone else and you don't wanna know what I'll do." He said. She giggled and looked up at him.

"I'll think about it."

"Hmm, I don't know if I believe you on that one Babes. Maybe I should just try again for myself." He said, leering at her.

"I thought you said I've got the control?" She asked, panic starting to rise in her. She didn't know what to do and that bothered her. He dropped his head for a moment before he let go of her and drew back.

"Dammit Babes, you better not make me wait for long. I don't think I can take it." He said. Layla lifted herself up and looked at him.

"I'll try not to, but I have been alone, all of my life. I don't know what to do."

"Practice makes perfect ya know."

"You would say that." She shot back at him.

"Hell ya I would. Anythin' to get you to wrap your pretty arms around me so I can have my way with you."

"You really are just a rutting old goat." She said and rolled her eyes.

"That's already been established Babes, but you love it." He said and winked at her. Despite herself, she smiled and laughed at him. What on earth was she going to do with him?


	7. Trouble Downstairs

OMG, I am having so much fun with this story. It's not even funny, well, yeah it is :D I really must be channeling Beetlejuice or Michael Keaton or something because this is just too easy for me to write. Maybe I really should be scared? Just kidding, you know I love it. ;)

This story might actually surpass The Devil's in the Details as my favorite.

Okay, so now I've decided that just to have a regular, stereotypical yuppie couple just isn't good enough for my story anymore, so here's a little bit of insight into Rowena and Sloane's past. Hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I'm in such a groove right now with this thing that I just can't stop thinking about what I'm going to write next.

I know I really don't have to say this, but...Review!!

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"It's almost sunrise, we've been talking all night long." Layla said looking at the lightening sky. 

"Seems that way." He said as he looked out the window and shrugged. He had never been with a woman for so long and didn't do anything. God he wanted to though, but he knew that he'd have to wait with her. They played had played around and flirted a little, but it wasn't the same with her. He could feel it somewhere that she was different from any other chick that he had been with and it was kinda nice.

"I can't even remember when I've had such a good time." She said and smiled.

"Yeah?" He asked. Layla turned away from the window to look back at him.

"Yeah." She said and her smile deepened revealing a dimple on her cheek. "It was really nice to listen and to talk to someone besides myself. I'm glad I called you out."

"Sure thing Babes, I'm always good for that." He said and reached for his pack of cigarettes. She turned to look back out the window. She always enjoyed this time, the peace that was around as the sun slowly rose up.

"So what do we do now?" She asked and turned to look at him.

"I can think of a few things." He said and wiggled his eyebrows. She rolled her eyes and was about to say something when she heard something crash downstairs.

"What in the world?" She said looking at the door.

"Wanna check it out?" He asked getting up out of his chair.

"Will they see you?"

"They only see me if I want them to. I've got the power in that, unlike you. You could be screaming in their faces and they wouldn't know that you were there." He said and she nodded. "Yet." He added under his breath.

"Huh?"

"Nothin' Babes. Come on, let's go down and see what they're up to." He said and reached out for her hand. She didn't think, just took his hand and they headed downstairs.

"Why can't you understand Rowena? I have to go to work. I can't afford all the shit that you want and sit here with you." He yelled. Layla leaned over the side of the railing to see Sloane holding his briefcase.

"I'm not saying that you don't have to work Sloane, but we haven't had one day where you haven't been on your phone or doing paperwork in weeks. I just want to spend some time with you." She said.

"Well you also want diamonds and parties too, those aren't cheap." He said. Layla jumped a little when another plate was hurled and crashed into the wall. "Dammit Rowena, those are fucking Wedgewood for Christ sakes. You picked them out."

"Take a flying leap." She spat out. Her black kimono barely hanging on.

"I've never seen them fight quite like this." Layla said, leaning over the railing some more, her hair sliding forward.

"Maybe you did startle them a little bit." Beetlejuice said and shrugged.

"I don't think so." Layla said and went to walk down the stairs. Beetlejuice took another drag on his cigarette and followed her down. She walked up to Rowena and saw the anger in her face, her entire body quivering with rage. "They always act like a happy couple. I wonder what happened last night after I went upstairs?" Layla asked. Sloane walked up and took Rowena's hands.

"Look Rowena. I know that you'd like to start a family. I would too, but right now I have to get some things taken care of first. I've got a meeting with a major potential client and if I can snag them then I can take some time off. Maybe we can take a vacation. A cruise or something. Would you like that?" He asked.

"Interesting Babes." Beetlejuice said. Layla just nodded and walked back over to him. He slung his arm around her shoulders and watched while Rowena nodded her head and gave her cheek to Sloane. He gave her a light tap and picked up his briefcase, heading for the door.

"Maybe I can persuade them to come over to the house. I think they like this ghost thing. Maybe they'd be interested." He said and shrugged before he walked out the door.

Layla and Beetlejuice watched as Sloane walked out of the house and left. Rowena stood there for some time, not saying anything as she stared at the closed door.

"Bastard. Why couldn't you have come and hurled something at him?" She called out to the house.

"I think she's talking to you Babes." Beetlejuice said to Layla.

"Goody, not only am I the family pet, I'm also the bouncer?" She asked and smiled when he chuckled.

"Nah, I'm the bouncer Babes, remember? And you are hardly a pet." He said winking at her. "Unless of course, you want to be my pet? I'd be good to you, pet you until you begged for more. Maybe rub your soft tummy until you growl?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You really are incorrigible." She said, but a smile lit her face anyway.

"You know I am." He said. Rowena stormed past them and shivered.

"I knew you were there." She spat out over her shoulder. She headed into the other room. Layla just shrugged and they followed her.

Rowena picked up the phone and began to dial a number before she paused and slammed it down again.

"Dammit. I promised." She said and ran her hand through her short brown hair. "Do you think I should call?" She asked the house, looking nowhere in particular.

"What am I? A magic eight ball?" Layla asked. Beetlejuice just laughed at her.

"You crack me up Babes." He said. She smiled at him and watched Rowena pick up the phone again.

"I'm taking your silence as a yes." She said and punched in the numbers. "Oh thank God you're there. I need to talk to you," Rowena said. Layla just raised an eyebrow and looked at Beetlejuice.

"Who's she talkin' to Babes?" He asked.

"I have no idea. They've been the only one's here, except for workers and the people last night." She said.

"Please come, I need you." She said and waited. It seemed like forever as she paced back and forth in the kitchen, biting her nails as she listened. "Please, I'm serious...Thank you." She said with a breath of relief. She hung up the phone and turned to dash up the stairs.

"I wonder what that was about?" Layla asked as they turned to watch Rowena running out.

"I guess we'll just have to wait and find out." Beetlejuice said and shrugged. Layla nodded and slid her arm through his as they walked back into the living room. She turned to look out of the window. The blue skies had broken out and there was just a hint of pink left from the sunrise. She could see some of the fresh Spring trees blowing in the soft wind.

"I wish I could go outside." She said, disappointment clear in her voice. Beetlejuice looked out the window and saw the nice day that was forming outside.

"Must be hard for ya Babes. Don't worry, you'll be there soon enough." He said.

"Not for another year." She said miserably.

"Less than that. When did you find out that you had a year left?" He asked.

"Around late October I think." She said.

"Well it's early March now Babes, that means you've got seven months left. Hardly anything." He said. She blinked at him and a broad smile formed on her face, lighting up her eyes.

"You're right. Oh God, I'll be free in months." She said and the jumped on him, wrapping her arms around him. "This is wonderful." She said into his neck. He couldn't help it, he kissed her on the temple and squeezed her back, tight. She drew back in his arms and smiled. God, she looked so enticing. He wanted to kiss her, badly, but he knew that she'd just freeze up on him again and that's the last thing he wanted.

"I love it when your eyes are bright and shining Babes. Looks like they're fresh plums." He said. She laughed at him

"What a charmer." She said. He just smiled at her and they sat down on the sofa and waited for whoever Rowena called to arrive.

She came back downstairs after a couple hours, dressed in her best attire and gave herself another quick look in the mirror.

"Please don't do anything while I have company." She called out.

"That just makes me want to do somethin'." Beetlejuice said.

"Not yet. I'm curious as to who this person is. Then, we'll see." She said, putting her hand on his sleeve.

"All right. If you insist." He said and huffed. She turned to look at him, one eyebrow raised.

"Don't pout. It isn't becoming." She said in the most serious voice she could muster. He laughed at her straight face and smiling eyes. She was so full of vinegar and was getting more accustomed to it minute by minute.

"I think I'm rubbing off on you." He said and winked at her. She rolled her eyes at him and crossed her legs.

"That's a frightening thought." He laughed again and was about to retort when there was a knock on the door. Rowena practically ran over to it and opened the door. A tall, handsome man in his early fifties walked into the house.

"I thought we'd agreed not to do this anymore Rowena." He said angrily when he stormed in.

"I know, but I just needed to talk to you so badly." She said following him. "I miss you so much."

"Rowena." He said and sat down right on Layla. "Jesus, it's freezing in here." He said and jumped back up. Layla just giggled and moved over, closer to Beetlejuice. He put his arm around her and squeezed it. Without thinking she laid her head on his shoulder and watched as he looked down carefully before he sat down again.

"Sorry, I'll turn up the heat." Rowena said and dashed to the thermostat, cranking it up.

"Like I was saying," He continued when she returned. "When you and Sloane decided to leave the city we agreed that we'd stop this. I can't have you calling me up when things get a little tense for you." He said.

"I know it, but Sloane brought up the family thing again. He's working so much lately and he wants to have a family. I just haven't had the courage to tell him that I can't." She said and looked down. The anger that was in his face softened a little and he took her hand, gently pulling her down to the couch. Layla jumped into Beetlejuice's lap before she was sat on again. He laughed at her and picked her up, taking her to the loveseat across from Rowena and the man. He put her down and sat next to her, putting his arm around her again. She cuddled up to him and they listened.

"This is better than soap opera." Layla said, her eyes riveted onto Rowena and her stranger.

"Real life is always better than those corny soaps." Beetlejuice said, but he was listening hard too.

"I know it's hard Rowena, but you have to tell him. I know that he'll understand." He said and patted her hand.

"I just thought that buying this house and moving out of the city would take some of the pressure off, but it hasn't." She wailed, tears in her eyes.

"Listen, I know that things might be hard for you for a little bit, but you'll work them out. I've decided that I want to make things work with my wife. We've had our rough times, but we've been getting along pretty good for the past couple of months and I've been getting to know her all over again. It's been nice, so this is the last time I'll come to talk to you Rowena. Please don't call me again. It's over."

"Wait. Why does it have to be over? I mean we could still see each other, couldn't we? It's not that far from the city and Sloane is gone a lot of the time anyway. Come on Jack, I need this. I know you miss me too." She said and leaned it grabbing his neck and pulling him down to her. He allowed himself to be kissed by her and grabbed her by the hair, deepening it for a moment, then pushed her away from him.

"I do miss you, a lot, but we still can't do it anymore. It's just not fair."

"Dammit Jack. It's not like Sloane's been that faithful to me. I know that he's had affairs with his secretaries." She fumed. He just got up from the couch and shook his head.

"I'm sorry Rowena. I want to make things work for me. I know you can understand that." He said softly to her.

"Fuck off." She said and crossed her arms, turning her head away from him. He just sighed and shook his head.

"Goodbye Rowena." He said and opened the door, walking out. Rowena sat there with her arms crossed for ten minutes after he left.

"Wow, who would have thought?" Layla said. They still hadn't moved from the loveseat as they watched Rowena go from fuming to breaking down and crying. She laid down on the couch and sobbed into the pillow that Jack had been sitting next to.

"Still want to get rid of 'em Babes?" Beetlejuice asked. Layla turned to look at him, her eyes wide.

"Even more now. I don't need to have fighting and things thrown around my house for my last few months. That would drive me even more crazy than I already am." She said. He was so relieved he didn't bother to hide it.

"Phew, I got a little worried that you'd get all sympathetic or some shit like that." He said. She laughed and shook her head.

"I don't have any sympathy for them at all. They made their beds and now we'll make them lie in it." She said, a hint of devilishness in her voice. He laughed at her.

"Layla, you're one after my own heart." He said to her. She smiled at him and with a little courage she leaned in and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. It wasn't much, but it was something and he just continued to smile at her.


	8. The New Client

Aww, you know I love Reviews. Boosts my ego. ;)

It's all coming together folks. Just wait, I've got so much more coming :D

Let me know what ya think!

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"God that's annoying." Layla said after they'd listened to Rowena bawl for a few more minutes. Beetlejuice chuckled and got up from the love seat, offering her a hand up.

"I was just about to say the same thing." He said. She smiled and grabbed his hand. He thought about yanking her up again, but just gave her a small tug instead. He frowned at that. What made him change his mind and not try to cop a feel?

"What are you thinking about?" She asked when she saw the look on his face. He just shook his head and gave her a lopsided smile.

"Nothin' important Babes." He said. "Come on, let's go back up to your room." He pulled her up to the stairs.

"To do what exactly?" She asked, raising an eyebrow. She locked her legs up and refused to budge.

"Do ya trust me?" He asked turning to look at her, giving her a wink.

"Not hardly, what did you have in mind?" She asked. He just smiled and tugged on her arm.

"No way, I'm not going until you tell me what's up?" She said, not budging.

"Oh you think you can stop me Babes? You got another thing comin'." He said and walked to her, picking her up and throwing her over his shoulder.

"BJ, let me down." She said and playfully pounded her fists on his back.

"There's no chance of that happening Babes." He said and gave her a tap on her rear as he walked up the stairs. She was light, he'd give her that. She finally gave up halfway through the stairs and hung down his back.

When he opened the door to the attic he grabbed her and lifted her down, making sure she slid down his body. Layla's feet landed on the hard floor, but she didn't think her legs could hold her after she slid down. She looked up at his face and felt something move within her. It seemed to blossom up and close her throat off.

"Oh." She was the only thing that seemed to escape out of her. He looked down at her, into her innocent purple eyes and couldn't help himself. He pushed her against the wall and pressed himself to her. She kept her eyes on him as he bent down to kiss her again. She was more shocked than anything else as he took her mouth. She could taste the smoke on him and something more, deep and masculine, somewhat dangerous that he had.

"Dammit Layla, open up your mouth." He said. It was not a request, but a command and she just obeyed it without thinking. He took her mouth again and pressed himself against her, pressing her into the wall. She had no time to react to him as he ran his hands over her, up her shirt and under it. She wanted to react, but he was too strong for her and she was starting to get scared.

She was so sweet and fresh that he wanted so much more from her. He didn't think about her, not at that moment, he was too lost. He didn't realize that he'd scared her until she started to struggle against him. He pulled away a little and she pushed him off of her, scrambling over to the other side of the room.

"What the hell Beetlejuice?" She asked, her eyes wide with fear and anger.

"Shit Babes, don't say the B word." He said and ran his hand through his hair. "Dammit, I'm sorry Babes, you just look so damn good and taste even better. I just couldn't help myself." He said with a little smile. She kept her wary eyes on him as he slowly moved to her, holding out his hand to her.

"Don't, please BJ. It's just all too much, too soon." She said and shook her head. He stopped where he was and dropped his hand.

"I said I was sorry Layla. You can't blame me for wanting you." He said.

"I'm sorry BJ, but this is all so new and..." Her voice gave out on her. She slid down onto the floor and put her head in her lap. "I've been alone for so long and then you come along and turn my world upside down. I just don't know what I'm doing anymore." She said, muffled. He wanted to say something to her, but he didn't know what he could. She looked so helpless sitting there, like a lost child waiting to be found.

"I guess I can't blame you for that." He said. She lifted her head up to look at him. He was struggling and she could see it.

"I just need some time. I want something, but I don't know what it is. I've never felt like this before and it scares me." She said. He slowly walked to her and crouched down next to her. He slowly lifted her hand and held it, he was trying to be as gentle as he could with her.

"I'll do my best Babes, but you are tempting." He said. She gave a little smile and nodded. He helped her up and stood an arms length from her. "We still friends?" He asked. She couldn't help it, she laughed.

"Yes, we're still friends." She said.

"Good, I hate to admit it, but I kinda like ya Babes. You're a spitfire and you kinda remind me of myself when I was just a young ghost." He said. She just shook her head

"My God that's the stuff that nightmares are made of." She said.

"Aw Babes, you really know how to hurt a guy." He said. Layla giggled and looked at the clock.

"I bet Sloane is home now. We should go down and see what's up with them." She said. He nodded and they slipped down the stairs.

"I got it Honey." Sloane said excitedly. He didn't notice his wife's red eyes as he picked her up and danced with her in the room.

"What Sloane?" She asked, irritated and raw. He let her go and put his briefcase down.

"The client that I had the meeting with. He's coming here for dinner next weekend, bringing his whole family. I didn't even have to mention the ghost thing, he likes doing things at home instead of an office, more relaxing he said. I guess he's had a few anxiety attacks over the years." Sloane rambled.

"Really? How many are coming?" Rowena asked, her voice flat and dull.

"Uh, four, unless he brings his grandchildren too. His wife, daughter and her husband as far as I know." He said, counting them on his fingers.

Layla and Beetlejuice watched from the railing as Sloane walked around excitedly.

"He doesn't even notice how upset she is." Layla said as she watched.

"Most guys don't notice that shit Babes, unless it's happenin' right then. I bet she's used to it." He said and shrugged.

"Really?" She asked, looking at him. He looked over at her.

"Course, I'd know if somethin' was wrong with you Babes." He said giving her a lazy smile.

"Sure you would." She said. He just laughed at her and was relieved that she had already forgotten what happened not a half an hour before.

"I would. Well next weekend, another party. What do ya say Babes? Should we crash then?" He asked. "You know they'll want you to make an appearance. You'll just have a date, the best date there is." He said.

"Oh yeah? You think highly of yourself." She said.

"I'm the ghost with the most Babes." He said and winked at her.

"So you're asking me out?" She asked and laughed at him.

"You know I am." He said and smiled.

"All right, next weekend it is." She agreed.

"So what's this major clients name?" Rowena asked moving around Sloane, carefully avoiding him.

"Deetz. Charles Deetz." He said puffing out his chest with pride. "Now what do you say if we go upstairs and celebrate?"


	9. Time

You guys really know how to make a girl blush you know that?

I love it! Keep it coming! ;)

So the Deetzes are back, well sort of anyway and there is still so much more to come.

Enjoy and Review!

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Beetlejuice blinked and blinked again. Did he really hear that name right? No, it couldn't be the same, could it? He said that his whole family was coming, that meant Lydia. He wondered how she'd react to seeing him again. Scream of course, no doubt about that. Now he just had another problem to deal with. They all knew how to send him back and he wanted to stay with Layla. That was another frightening thought. He said it to himself, stay with Layla. He'd only known the girl for a day and a half and he wanted to stay with her? It couldn't be right, but it was.

"Interesting." Layla said, still bent over the railing. When she turned to look at Beetlejuice, he was staring down, blank faced at Sloane and Rowena as they made their way to the bedroom. "Are you okay BJ?" She asked lightly putting her hand on his shoulder. He jumped at the feeling and was jolted back to her.

"What did you say Babes?" He asked and smiled.

"What's wrong?" She asked firmly, drawing her eyes together and put her hands on her hips. He looked at her, she was cute when she wanted something.

"Nothin' Babes."

"Yeah, I believe that one. If you had any color to drain out of your face, you would have done it. Something they said startled you and I want to know what it is." She said, not giving an inch.

"Nah, nothin' can startle me Babes. You know that." He said.

"I don't think so. It was the name wasn't it? For some reason the name Deetz freaked you out didn't it?" She asked. When he didn't answer she smiled at her victory. "I thought so. What happened?"

"Nothin' much, just had a run in with him, that's all." He said and shrugged.

"Somehow I doubt that, but I have a feeling you're not going to tell me any more about it." She said and sighed. Something was definitely wrong with him and she wanted to know why, but he wasn't telling her. She could only hope that she was going to find out, soon.

"Well Babes, we got a whole week now before we go spooking. What do you think we should do?" He said and lifted an eyebrow. She laughed and felt how good it was to laugh. Before she met him she couldn't even remember the last time that she had laughed, except for a bitter chuckle when a family went screaming out. With Beetlejuice, it was unavoidable.

"You really are relentless." She said, still smiling.

"I know it. What would ya do without me?" He asked. Layla hadn't thought about that. After he spooked Rowena and Sloane out of the house, she'd be alone again. At least until she was set free and then where would she go? Having Beetlejuice around was fun, but it felt like a vacation to her, something that she knew wasn't going to last and she felt almost sick to her stomach.

"What's wrong?" He asked when he saw her face fall. He reached out to grab her hand and she looked at him and smiled. It was a sad smile that he didn't like at all and he knew that she wasn't thinking anything good.

"What will I do without you BJ?" She asked, her voice full of sincerity. He cocked his head to the side and looked at her.

"Why would you have to?"

"Well next weekend the Deetzes will come and you'll scare them away along with Rowena and Sloane and then you'll go away. On to the next ghost who needs your help." She said.

Shit, the girl thought too much and it was starting to give him a headache. She just kept looking at him, her eyes so sad he just wanted to pull her into him.

"Dammit Layla, you really are a killjoy. Why did ya have to go and think about that shit right now?" He said and did pull her into him. She laid her head on his chest and he rested his chin on the top of her head.

"Sorry, but I just keep thinking that you'll be around forever, but you won't. I guess I just have to face that fact." She said against his chest. He sighed and kept looking over the top of her head, inhaling her scent and locking it with him forever.

"You know I'll be around Babes, I'm always around. All you have to do is say those magic B words and I'll zap myself to wherever you are." He said. Layla smiled against him and closed her eyes. She'd been awake for over twenty four hours now and she was getting tired. Not that she had to sleep, but it felt nice to have a break.

Beetlejuice rubbed her back and when she didn't say anything for a few minutes he looked down and smiled, suppressing a laugh. She'd fallen asleep against him. He shook his head and carefully picked her up without waking her up. He walked up the stairs to the attic and carefully laid her down on the bed, covering her with a blanket. She grabbed a corner of the blanket and curled up on her side, her sleep unbroken. He sat down on the chair and watched her while she slept. He didn't think it was possible, but she looked even more innocent and young when she was sleeping.

Shit, what the hell was she doing to him? Normally he wouldn't have given a rat's ass if she was asleep or not, just stripped her down and had his way. At least attempted it anyway, but here and now? He sat away from her, respecting her wishes of time. He wanted to freak out about it. Be pulling his hair out wondering what was happening, but he just sat there watching her and smiling while he thought. How could she be such a live wire one minute, an insecure woman another and a sleeping innocent the next. He sighed, she was an enigma and he found himself enjoying every minute of it.

He must have dozed off because he was jolted awake when he heard Layla whisper.

"Stop it." She said. He looked at her and saw her squeezing her eyes shut and struggling against the blankets.

"Babes?" He asked, but she wasn't with him. She was someplace else.

"I said stop, please don't. You're hurting me." She said a little louder and kept struggling. He got up from the chair and gently shook her, but she just struggled more. She looked like she was in pain as she pushed against the blankets she'd wrapped herself in. He couldn't take it and laid down next to her, pulling her into him and held her tight. She struggled a little more, but he held her against him until she finally calmed down.

"Dammit Babes, you're holdin' somethin' out on me and I wanna know what the hell it is." He said to her. She just slept against him, her hair falling in her eyes. He brushed her hair away and closed his eyes, keeping his arms wrapped tightly around her.

Layla woke up and was a little disoriented. She had a splitting headache and was tangled up in a blanket. She rolled over and saw that she was next to Beetlejuice. He had fallen asleep next to her and was sleeping soundly.

"What on earth?" She asked and pushed herself away. She didn't realize that she was so close to the side of the bed and she fell straight on her rear. Beetlejuice woke up when he heard her thump on the floor. He looked around and then down on the floor and gave her a lazy smile.

"Whatcha fall for?" He asked and yawned. She narrowed her eyes lifted herself up. He saw the blood in her eyes and just kept smiling at her.

"What were you doing in my bed?" She hissed, putting her hands on her hips.

"You were havin' a nightmare Babes, I thought I'd comfort ya." He said and stretched, still laying in bed.

"Yeah right. Did you have a nice grope fest?" She spat. She just couldn't believe him. The utter nerve he had of coming onto her when she was asleep.

"You mean you really don't remember?" He asked sitting up in her bed and pulling the blanket off of him and getting out.

"Remember what? You coping a feel? No, I don't remember that and I probably should be happy at that."

"No really Layla. You were yelling about wanting someone to let you go and they were hurting you." He said. He saw a fraction of uncertainty in her eyes and she wavered.

"I did?" She whispered. She couldn't believe it, she hadn't had a nightmare like that in years.

"Yeah Babes, what the hell was that about?" He asked. She walked over to the chair and sank down in it not saying a word. "Come on Layla, you're scarin' me here." He said and heard it in his own voice. She looked at him and just shook her head.

"It was a long time ago. I hadn't had the nightmares in years and I thought they'd left me." She said dully.

"You gotta tell me what this is about." He wanted to know what she was hiding from him. She sighed loudly.

"I told you that I was pushed into every ball and party so my parent's could marry me off and not have to deal with me." She said.

"Yeah."

"Well I said that men didn't look twice a me."

"Yeah."

"I lied, well about one time anyway. Remember that I said that one man said that no man would ever marry me because there was nothing inside of me?"

"Yeah I remember you talking about an idiot." He said. She gave a small half smile, but it fell.

"Well he did say that, but he also said that I was just a pretty package. Wrapped up nice and tight, but nothing there. After he walked away, I kept to myself in the corner. It got unbearably warm and I went outside on the balcony to get a breath of fresh air. I liked the solitude and peace of being outside of the party. I always hated those parties because I was required to go. I had no choice."

"So what happened when you were out on the balcony?" He asked.

"The man, his name was Alexander, came out onto the balcony with me. I could smell the brandy on his breath from a mile away." She said and looked down again.

"Go on." He said in a tight voice, the rage boiling up inside. He knew where this was going and it all made sense.

"He tried to rape me. He said he wanted to unwrap my pretty packaging and see if there was anything in there worth putting a ring on for. He wanted to taste the goods is how he put it. He yanked me around by the arm and squeezed it so tight that I thought it was going to break. I cried out, for the first time ever and struggled against him. I was saved only by the fact that another couple came out onto the balcony and I was able to dash inside." She said. He didn't say anything for a while, trying to control the rage that he felt.

Everything locked into place with her. The reason she wanted to be alone and her begging him for time. She was struggling against everything she'd lived with and what she was feeling or what he hoped she was feeling for her.

"Layla it wasn't your fault." He said trying to find some way that he could comfort her.

"I know it wasn't. It just scares me sometimes. I haven't thought about it in so long that it startled me."

"You know Babes, it all makes sense now. Why you freeze up whenever I get too close to you." He said. She looked at him and tears filled up her eyes and began to roll down her face. "Layla." He said and pulled her out of the chair and into his arms.

"I'm so sorry." She blurted. "I know it's not fair. I want to do things with you, I really do. Every time I start to feel something for you I just can't help but think about Alexander and I just freeze. I know you're not him, I do know that. I just can't help it." She said in a rush of words.

"Don't worry Babes, we'll figure it all out." He said. Things were getting complicated fast, but he didn't want it to stop.

Layla slowly pulled herself away from him and wiped the tears away from her eyes and cheeks.

"This is all happening so fast BJ. I need to figure out what is going on." She said and looked away. She just couldn't face him right now.

"What are ya sayin' Babes?" He asked.

"I think I need to be alone for the rest of the week. Just to think about what I want to do." She said, still not looking at him. He felt his heart sinking and made her turn her head to look at him. Her eyes were reddening from the tears and he could see that she was miserable.

"Do ya really have to be alone?" He asked. He didn't want to be sent away. Not because it was a bitch to be stuck and not have a thing to do, but because he didn't want to leave her alone. She sniffed and nodded.

"Yes, I think so Beetlejuice." She said and he winced.

"Shit, that's twice you've said it." He said and squeezed his eyes shut.

"I know, I promise I'll call you back." She said. He slowly opened his eyes.

"You better promise me Layla." He said. She was surprised about how harsh his voice seemed to be.

"I promise." She said. He grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her lips to his, giving her a hard, quick kiss. When he let her go she was breathless and disoriented.

"Do it Babes, quick." He said and shut his eyes again. Layla opened her mouth and closed it again. Why did he have to go and do that when she had already made up her mind? She knew that she needed time to think, but she wanted him here. He made her feel things she'd never thought she'd feel. It both scared her and excited her and she wanted more of both. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly.

"Beetlejuice." She said and with that, he was gone. Not a drop of him left in her room, except for the faint smell of smoke.


	10. Feelings

Thank you guys so much for the reviews. I love them and you know I do ;)

Cliffhangers, yeah I know I keep giving you a cliffhanger, but to my defense, if I don't know what's going to happen next how on earth can you guys know? I generally have a vague idea of what I want to get down, but how and when I get there, I don't have a clue. When I write I come up with things I had no idea I was going to put in until they were down on paper. Then I have to figure out how I'm going to make it work and what is going to happen after that, so I'm coming up with new things all of the time and I have to leave the story at a place that seems like a good resting point so I can think about it.

To my defense though. I do update very quickly. I don't think I've spent more than a day before I've updated a new chapter and that's working on TWO stories. I think I update everyday on both of them so that's a lot of switching back and forth from romance/comedy type to really dramatic and suspenseful, so you gotta give me a little credit. Right?

Anyway back to the story! There's lots more to come. I just have to think of it now ;)

Enjoy and Review!!

Keegan Eavan

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Layla paced around her room and knew that she was going crazy. She missed him, a lot and it had only been a day since he'd left her. Well, she made him leave her if she was honest with herself. It just wasn't fair. She did need to figure out what was going on with her, but she wanted him there as well. He made her feel alive and that was difficult considering that she hadn't even felt like that when she really was alive.

She was already dead, why did her life have to get any harder? She didn't have a clue about what she was feeling, everything just seemed to be mixed up and she couldn't tell one emotion from the other. The whole time she was alive she grew up learning to be numb, void of all feelings and now they were flooding her and it was overwhelming. She was confused, was this love? No, surely not. She'd only known him for a few days. You couldn't fall in love that fast, could you? She certainly had fun with him and she felt like she could be herself around him. The person she'd always pressed away and hidden from the rest of the world when she was living.

Things didn't change a lot when she died. She'd slipped into a comfortable and safe afterlife of scaring off people and living alone. Scaring people was the only time that she felt like she had any spirit in her. Other than that she felt like nothing, might as well be air. Then Beetlejuice came into her life and turned it upside down. She had a terrifying thought that she only liked him so much because he was the first person she'd been able to talk to since she'd died. Actually, he was the first person she'd been able to talk to, ever. The thought that she liked him only because of that scared her to her toes. It hit her like a ton of bricks and she tried to push it away, but it kept coming back nagging in the back of her mind. He was a schmoozer and a charmer, that was for sure. She knew that he wanted to sleep with her, but was there anything else beyond that for them? She shook her head, even more confused.

She did share things with him that she'd never told anyone before and he did tell her a little bit about himself as well. That counted for something, but how much? God, why couldn't her afterlife be simple? Well, it was until she called him into her life, but then again it was also boring and lonely. She had always secretly dreamed of something more, but she always felt like it was just a dream and she'd accepted that she'd never have that in her own life or afterlife. Now she had some excitement in her life and she felt herself becoming the person she'd always wanted to be, as strange as that sounded. She thought about him, seeing him in her mind's eye. He wasn't too much taller than she was and definitely looked like a ghost, but there was something about him that made her feel like she was warm and she hadn't felt that way, well, ever. She would consider him handsome, extremely if he just scrubbed up a little bit. There was also something else about him that made her tingle. He had a sort of charisma that appealed to her. One more than one occasion she felt her knees go weak when he'd look at her, particularly when he was joking about dragging her to bed.

She felt beyond horrible when she'd frozen up on him when he'd kissed her the few precious times that he did. She wanted so much more, but wasn't exactly sure what that meant. She'd seen things on televison and knew about the general idea, but experiencing them was so much more different. She'd always lived vicariously through the television or in books, dreaming about someone coming in and doing those things to her, but when the opportunity did present itself she locked herself up. She sighed and flung herself on her bed. Why did it have to be so difficult? She heard a knock on her door before it opened.

"I have no idea why I just knocked. This is my house after all." Rowena said and walked in.

"Why on earth do you want?" Layla asked. She still didn't know why she talked out loud to any of the people that lived in her house. Sometimes she actually expected them to answer her questions, but she might as well have been talking to a wall.

"I wanted to have a talk with you. You've been awfully quiet the past couple of days and I wanted to make sure that you'd be at the party. I know that you probably know this, but Sloane has a major client coming over and we would love it if you'd show something wild. Really let them know what an exciting place we live in and how exciting we are. It would mean so much to us if you could do that, well him anyway." Rowena said. Layla frowned at her, she sounded like she was begging Layla to do something. She sighed and made the lights blink on and off. Rowena sighed with relief and smiled.

"Oh good, I'm glad that you're still here." She said. Layla rolled her eyes and got up from the bed and moved past Rowena. She shivered, but still smiled. "You know I think that I like the fact that I can talk to you, I know that you won't say anything." Rowena said and sat down on the chair.

"Oh goody." Layla said and rolled her eyes again and looked out the window. It was dark out, but the stars were shining. She wondered if Beetlejuice was seeing the same sky that she was, wondered where he was at and what he was looking at.

"So you know that Jack came over yesterday and you heard. I'm assuming you figured out what was going on." Rowena said and ran her hand through her hair.

"Ya think?" Layla said.

"It's not that I don't love Sloane, but we've just been growing apart for the last few years. I want to see and be seen, have the whole city looking at me and be the life of the party. He just wants to settle down and have a family. I'm really not the family type of person, really. I just let him think that because he wants one so bad."

"Very generous of you." Layla spat out.

"I just want our lives to be like every other couple that we know. The husbands work and the wives stay home and do whatever they feel like. They all go out and do lunch, have pedicures and facials. None of my friends have children and since I can't have any anyway I don't want them either. Messy and smelly, ick. I'd still feel that way even if I could have children. I can think of a hundred other things I could spend money on, but Sloane wants to have an actual family. He grew up in a big family and wants one of his own. I think it would break his heart if he knew that I couldn't have any children and then he'd divorce me to get someone who could. He's worked his whole life to save up to have a family. He was poor when he was young and that's what made him work so hard to get where he's at now. You know I never would have looked twice at him if he hadn't been walking down Walstreet in an expensive suit." Rowena said. Layla could only look at her and shake her head. Rowena sounded like a callous and calculating woman who just wanted money and didn't even care about her husband. She really was a piece of work. Layla actually began to feel a little sorry for Sloane to be married to her. Rowena mentioned that he had his share of affairs that he'd done, but he really didn't deserve being lied to and living on a false hope.

"That's just so sad and you don't even realize it." Layla said and opened her door for Rowena. Rowena turned her head to look at the opened door.

"I guess I'll take the hint." She said and turned to walk out. "Remember this weekend, don't forget." She called.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world." Layla said and smirked. She couldn't wait until the weekend. As bad as she felt for Sloane she still didn't want to have to deal with their problems and with Rowena around she knew that tonight was only the beginning of it. Rowena was the type of person who would do whatever she wanted and if she wanted to talk to Layla, then she would.

She wished that the weekend would hurry up and arrive. Not only would she be able to have those people out of her house, but also because she got to see Beetlejuice again and she hoped that she was going to find out what was going on with him and this Deetz person. She was really interested in what was going on behind that and why he didn't want to tell her anything about it. Every time she began to think about him she wanted him here with her. She knew that she could have called him back and he would've come flying to her. She'd told him that she needed time and she wasn't lying about that. She also wanted to prove to herself that she could live without him around her, even though it was killing her on the inside. Maybe this was love? She'd never loved anyone in her entire life so how could she possibly know what it felt like? If it was the feeling that you were completely miserable without them and confused around them, but happy at the same time, then she would have to admit to herself that she did love him. She shook her head and laid back down on the bed. She just wished that she knew or not and she wanted to know if he felt the same. That would be a fate worse than this. If she realized that she loved him, but he just wanted to have sex with her and leave her. She furrowed her brow at that thought. Now she had something completely new to worry about.


	11. Lust or Like?

Gotta give props to the reviews. It keeps me going and on my toes so I have to keep coming up with what's going to happen next, but I love it and wouldn't have it any other way!

By the by, I'm not holding out. Promise. I mean it's not like I've got all this written out and am just posting it. Nope, I'm sitting here writing it as we speak!

We're going inside the mind of Beej. Scary place to go :D Not really. Just remember he IS a horny old goat so don't expect any huge revelations. Just, maybe, a few tiny ones, but it's all him. I think anyway. This short, you're warned, but it's loaded because there isn't any other person there to share some dialogue with so it's all him. I'm taking this story slow because I just don't see Layla and Beetlejuice falling all over each other in love. That's not gonna happen, at least not in my story. Layla isn't the type of girl to do that. And well, we all know how BJ is ;) You can expect things to get more intense after this. Especially with the Deetzes presence coming down. I've got some big plans there. (I'm just evil aren't I?)

Well it's my birthday today! Sooo...you can give me a review as a present ;) That's like the best present ever!

Loves and loves and loves some more to everyone who has read this story and to those who have responded.

Keegan Eavan

* * *

Beetlejuice hated being stuck, he hated being alone and he really hated being bored. What was worse was that without Layla all those feelings seemed to be multiplied by a thousand. Dammit. She just had to have time to herself to figure shit out. Why couldn't she just accept that she wanted him as much as he wanted her and they could have a good time in the sack? No, she had to be all confused and shit like that. Women crap, he had been around for over six hundred years and he still couldn't figure them out. At least with Layla he didn't really want to. He wanted her to decide that she wanted to be with him, but he liked a little mystery in her. Besides, he figured that she didn't really know what she was about, since she'd been beaten down so much. 

That was something that pissed him off to no end. Her being knocked around like that by the people who were supposed to love her and shit. He'd looked at her sometimes and just want to wrap her up right and tight and put her in his pocket. He frowned at himself and made a beer appear. Since when did he care about protecting some broad? He opened up the bottle and took a swig, giving a loud belch afterwards. Since he met her that's when. Shit, he'd only known her for a few goddamn days and he wanted to protect her? In what world did that make sense?

He knew that he wanted to fuck her, badly, but there was something else that he wanted from her. He wanted all of her, not just her body. He smiled to himself at that and took another swig. She did have a knockout body and he hoped like hell that when she called him back that she was going to wear some sexy little number. Besides all that she was quick when it came to coming up with comebacks and she was pretty funny too. He remembered her little remarks when they were listening in on Rowena's phone conversation. The family pet and a magic eight ball. He chuckled to himself just thinking about her expressions as she looked at him. Her eyebrows arching and looking at him in wonderment. He loved it when she was so animated.

Then there were the times when she seemed so low that he wanted to do something he never thought he'd ever want to do with a chick. Just sit and listen to her as she poured her heart out. He actually had listened to her when she was talking, not just pretending to. Well, his mind did drift when his eyes dropped to her chest when she was talking, but hey, he was only human. He liked to imaging all sorts of positions when his mind drifted. He gave a lopsided grin thinking about that. If he kept that up he'd have to douse himself with a bucket of cold water. He finished his bottle of beer and threw the bottle on the ground before he snapped himself another one.

He'd have to deal with the fucking Deetzes now. They were gonna blow his whole cover with Layla, he knew they were. He'd taken the time to show her that he had something that she needed and proven that he wanted her. When they showed up and he popped up they'd start in on their shit and try to get him out of there. He knew that Layla would keep bringing him back whenever they managed to zap him back to this shit hole, but he wanted to get them under lock and key as soon as he saw them.

He took another swig of his fresh beer and laid back in his chair. He thought about Lydia. She'd be close to forty by now if he did his math right. He wondered what she looked like and what her husband and kids looked like. He actually hadn't thought that much about her over the years. A few times when he got really drunk he'd think about her and mainly just be pissed off and want to drink more. Those were the times that he'd pass out and wake up with a massive hangover. She'd been a frightened little scrap of a thing when he first met her, but she tickled his fancy and she was the means to an end. If things had gone right then he woulda been out of this fucking place a long time ago. Course then he never woulda met Layla. Fuck, he was stuck between a rock and a goddamned hard place. Meeting her was about the best thing that happened to him in a long time. Beautiful as a fucking movie star and smart as a goddamned whip.

It wasn't fair. Why couldn't she have been alive, then he could have had the best of both worlds. He would have been out of this hell hole and married her. Then they could have had a hot time in the bed, shower, closet and wherever else he could think of. He smiled at that, his mind immediately jumping to a hundred different scenarios that merged together. He closed his eyes for a minute and imagined her naked. He hoped like hell that she would come to her senses and not freeze up on him the next time he put the moves on her.

Dammit he'd been away from her for two fucking days and he'd been thinking about her non stop and not just about her body, but about things that she'd said and looks she'd given. Even the way she looked when she was upset or sad, even sleeping seemed to be seared into his mind. Not that he minded all that much. He didn't want to admit it to himself, but even if he didn't get laid he'd wanna stick around with her, she was good company. Most chicks never gave him the time of day, but her. She was different. She was interested in him, probably because she was desperate to have some company, but maybe it was something more. He wanted it to be something more.

He belched again and scratched his stomach looking at the television, but not watching it and reached for a cigarette. He liked her, a lot and hoped that she would break down and call him back sooner then the weekend. He still had three more days without her and he didn't like that idea. He looked down at his boots, dirty and scuffed from years of use. Maybe he should get some new clothes and scrub up a little for her. Fuck, scrub up for a woman? What the fuck was the matter with him.

That thought never crossed his mind before, but still. Maybe she'd loosen up a little more if he scrubbed the dirt out of his fingernails or some shit like that. He finished his cigarette and crushed it in the full ashtray before he lit another one and took a deep drag. He closed his eyes and tried to remember exactly what she smelled like. Something sweet and fresh, it was unique. He took a deep breath and swore that he could smell her there. He thought of her face and saw her incredible purple eyes. He still couldn't believe it, purple with crimson around her pupils. They were extraordinary just like she was. Shit, he wanted to talk to her, but he also promised her space. Dammit why did he have to do that? If he broke that now then she'd never trust him again and he had to gain her trust. If he didn't then he'd never get into her pants and maybe never see her again.

After this weekend she'd still be stuck in that house for another six or seven months before she was let out. What the hell was he going to do then? Court her? Good God, he'd never thought of that before. Actually doing the whole "date" thing never appealed to him, but what else could he do? He was at her will so he need to show her that he wanted to be around. What else could he do to make sure she knew that he didn't just want to get some. Well, he wanted to get some, but he wanted to stick around after that too.


	12. Relfections

Aww thanks you guys for the reviews. I love it and thanks for wishing me a happy birthday. I had one :)

Just a warning. I'll be setting this story to an M rating, offically when I post the next chapter, so if you're computer is like mine and only shows ratings K-T when you first get on, don't fret, it's there just at M now.

That doesn't necessarily mean that there will be romantical happenings in the next chapter, but it will be coming sometime in the near future ;) As for taunting and teasing...you better believe I'm gonna keep you guessing about what's coming up next. If I didn't then you'd be bored right? I know I would:)

Enjoy and Review!!

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Layla wished that she could have looked at herself in the mirror. It wasn't fair. How could she see what she looked like when she couldn't see herself? She had dressed carefully for the party, well, actually she dressed carefully for Beetlejuice. She wanted to look her best. It had been the whole week and she'd made it, but it was a close call. She still wasn't exactly sure how she felt, but she knew that it was strong. She wouldn't dare call it love, not even in her mind she wouldn't. At least not until she heard it from him first. She didn't think she could take that kind of rejection, especially from him. 

She sighed and got up from the chair that she'd been sitting in. She had chosen a long black silk gown. It had one strap across her left shoulder that cascaded down into a scarf behind the dress and floated behind her. The rest of her shoulders and back were completely bare. Ivory skin against black silk. It was one of her favorite combinations. She had swept her long dark red hair up and pinned it with several pins in different swoops and curls at the back of her head. With all of her hair it had taken a while and she hoped that it looked good. She pulled a few strands around her face. She chose ice white and grey to go around her eyes, accenting it with a dusting of black shadow in the crease of her eye and black liner. Her lips were painted a deep red wine color, dark and rich with a slight gloss over them.

She walked over and slipped on a pair of high heeled black sandals and took a deep breath. She walked out of her attic room and down the stairs. She wanted to see just exactly who these people were that Beetlejuice was so stubborn about not talking to her about. She stayed on the second level and looked down from the railing. Rowena walked slowly around in her gown. She had on a fish tail cut gown with an empire waist. The top was black and beaded that lead into a white skirt with a black paisley design. It wasn't a bad design. Actually it was a rather pretty dress, but it was a little much for Layla's taste.

"Everything needs to be perfect before the Deetzes get here. I don't want any slip ups or I'll make sure you're fired tonight." She said as she walked around the caterers and waiters as they set up. Layla smiled as she watched. Sloane walked out in his classic black tuxedo and was on his cell phone.

"No, of course not. Just make sure you take the left when you get to Spooner street." He said and flipped his phone back down. "The Deetzes are going to be a little late." Sloane said and gave his wife a kiss on the cheek. "You look fantastic tonight Rowena." He said and smiled.

"Late? How late are they going to be?" Rowena asked, her voice rising even higher.

"I don't know, he said about fifteen minutes or so." Sloane shrugged. Rowena gave a great sigh and shook her head.

"That is so unprofessional Sloane. They could have called us ahead of time. Now the food might be cold." She said and shook her head. Sloane drew his eyes together and looked at her.

"Calm down Rowena. It's not that big of a deal. It's only fifteen minutes. Besides the whole idea is to have a meeting outside of the office. I told you that Charles Deetz likes to do work like that and if I can nab him away from his current broker then we'll be rolling in dough." He said. She sighed and nodded.

"I know, you're right of course. I'm just nervous I guess." She said and smiled. He walked over and got a couple glasses of wine and handed one to her.

"You need to relax Honey." He said. She smiled and took a sip of wine and nodded. "After this is all said and done I can take some time off and we can go on a vacation. Get a head start on having a family." He said taking a sip. Rowena sighed and set down her glass.

"I'm so sick of talking about starting a family Sloane. Can we have one night where it's not the topic of conversation?" She hissed at him. Sloane was taken by surprise at Rowena's reaction.

"I thought you wanted to have a family?" He asked. Rowena looked at him and thought about telling him the truth. She was on the verge of saying it when she saw his concerned look and gave up.

"I do Sloane, I just...I need some more wine to relax." She said. He nodded and looked at her. She must have been really nervous for this party to be pulled off right. He took another sip of wine.

Layla arched her brow at the small outburst that Rowena had. She was tangling herself up in the lies she was telling. She couldn't understand why she just didn't tell Sloane that she couldn't have children. She really didn't know him as well as she knew Rowena because he didn't talk to her, but she didn't think that he would divorce her over it either. She shook her head, careful to not pull the pins out of her hair and walked down the rest of the stairs to watch the caterers preparing lavish food, arranging flowers and making sure the decor was just so. She wished that Beetlejuice were here so she could talk to him. She was sure that they'd be making fun of everything, but she was determined to see the Deetzes first.

Sloane felt a cold breeze brush by him and he looked up and around the room.

"You're here aren't you?" He whispered. Layla stopped in her tracks and turned around. It was the first time he'd actually addressed her and she was surprised. He waited for her to do something and then looked back down. She sighed and lit a candle next to him and he looked at it and smiled. "Good, I need something really big for these people. I heard that his wife has been doing a lot of sculpting in macabre and his daughter does a lot of photography that is along those lines as well. If I can show them that I've got something that will interest them, that will get me one step closer to closing the deal and Rowena I can have more time to start a family." He sighed and sat down. Layla smiled softly at him and extinguished the candle that she'd lit.

"I wonder if that means that you're listening?" He asked. "I could just be talking to myself." Layla sighed and lit the candle again. Apparently he needed her to constantly give him signs that she was there. He smiled and looked around in her general direction.

"When we were dating we'd talked about having a family. I always wanted a big family and Rowena said that she'd like one too, but for the last couple of years, we've just been drifting apart from each other. I guess she thought that getting this place would give us a fresh start." He said and ran his hand through his hair. "I can't believe I'm telling all this personal stuff to a ghost." He said and smiled to himself.

"It's all right. Rowena does it all the time." Layla said and smiled.

"Well hopefully we'll be able to get back on track soon." He said and finished the rest of his wine. Layla extinguished the candle again and he smiled looking at the black wick on the white candle.

"You're easy to talk to." He said.

"I get that a lot." She said and looked up when she heard a knock on the door.

"They must be here." Sloane said and straightened himself up. Rowena came into the room, smoothing her gown.

"Are you going to answer the door Sloane?" She asked looking at him. Layla felt butterflies in her own stomach as she waited to see who these people were. She walked back up to the staircase to the second floor. She didn't want any of them to accidently walk through her until she was ready to make her own debut with Beetlejuice.

Sloane walked up and answered the door. Layla saw a man in his early sixties walk in. He seemed like he could be scared easily. He had sort of a jittery look about him, kind of like a rabbit she thought and smiled. He looked around the house and smiled at Sloane.

"Mr. Deetz, I'd like you to meet my wife Rowena." Sloane said. Rowena reached forward and shook his hand.

"Pleasure Mrs. Nichols." He said and shook her hand.

"Rowena please." She said.

"Rowena, this is my wife Delia. My daughter and her husband will be here in a few minutes. They took a wrong turn somewhere and Lydia and Jonathon had to turn around." He said. Layla watched as Rowena shook his wife's hand. She had to be in her early fifties, a mound of bright red hair piled on top of her hair, pretty in an unconventional sort of way. One of those highly artistic types.

"Very lovely home you have. We have something similar in Connecticut." She said and walked around the house, approving of the grey and lime green walls.

"Do you?" Rowena asked.

"Yes, we moved there because my poor Charles." She said and looked at her husband, smiling. Layla saw a little sadness there when she smiled, but she could also see that she loved him. Charles just shrugged and they went to sit down. Layla didn't see anything unusual about the couple and wondered why Beetlejuice had been so wary. Maybe it had something to do with the daughter. She shrugged to herself and walked back up to her room. She couldn't wait any more and wanted Beetlejuice to come back now.

"Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice." She said as soon as she walked through the door and with that he was there in front of her. She smiled and wanted to run and hug him, but refrained herself. She wanted to know what he thought of how she looked first.

Beetlejuice just stared at Layla. He had wanted to wear a sexy little number, but this was just too much. She looked like some sort of queen as she stood there in the black gown. One shoulder strap draping over. The scarf fluttering around behind her. It looked like it had taken her hours to get her hair up. It was pinned in different swirls that made her look regal, all she needed was a crown.

"Babes," He said and had to stop and close his mouth again.

"Yes BJ?" She coaxed. He smiled at her, she wanted a compliment from him. It was as plain as the nose on her face. She looked like a child on Christmas day waiting for him to say something.

"There's somethin' different about you. You do somethin' with your hair? Or maybe it's that big smudge on your nose." He said and put his hands in his pockets, leaning up against the wall. Layla's hand flew up to her nose and she started to become crushed until she saw the gleam in his eyes. She put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot.

"That's not even remotely funny BJ. Now how do I really look?" She asked and turned around in a circle for him. He almost swallowed his tongue when he saw that almost all of her back was exposed.

"You look absolutely gorgeous Babes." He said. She smiled at him, relief flooding her face. He chuckled at her and walked over to her. She opened her arms and hugged him to her. She thought about trying her hand at kissing him, but she didn't want to smudge her make up.

"Thank you. I wasn't quite sure since I can't see myself." She said.

"Oh I can fix that Babes." He said and grabbed her shoulders and turned her around

"How can you do that?" She asked.

"Just watch." He said and a full length mirror appeared before her. When she looked into the mirror she saw herself slowly appearing in the mirror.

"My God." She said and leaned in. She touched her face and watched her reflection. It had been so long since she'd seen her own face and body that it startled her. She remembered what she looked like, but to actually see herself was overwhelming. She looked at her pale, smooth face and deep rich eyes. The dark makeup only accentuating what she had making the purple in her eyes stand out even more. She stared at herself in the dress. She knew that the dress would be beautiful, but seeing herself in it made her feel like royalty. She saw Beetlejuice behind her in the mirror, his hands still on her shoulders. She looked at the mirror and into his dark green eyes and felt her heart swell in her chest. She blinked and tried not to start welling up with tears. The last thing she needed was to make her makeup start to run. She turned around and wrapped her arms around Beetlejuice.

"Thank you," She said against his neck. He smiled and wrapped his arms around her, feeling the silk beneath his hands, knowing that there was only just a thin layer of fabric between his fingers and her creamy skin. "For everything." She said and pulled away. Her purple eyes were shining up at him, a smile resting on her lips. "I'd kiss you if I didn't have this dark lipstick on." She said. He groaned and smiled. She laughed at him and took a deep breath, letting out a satisfied sigh.

"So can I take a rain check on that kiss then?" He asked.

"I think so." She said. There was certainty in her voice, not confusion or wariness and it relaxed him. He had hoped with every fiber of his being that he'd get to score tonight. Her little statement made him even more determined to make it happen. He smiled at her and proffered his arm to her.

"Good, I'll be callin' it in soon, now should we join the party?" He asked.

"Sounds like a plan. I saw Charles and his wife down there." She said as they headed for the door.

"Yeah?" He asked and felt his throat closing up on him.

"Yes, but their daughter and her husband were running late. I wonder if they're there now?" She asked.

"I guess there's no other way to find out." He said. She raised an eyebrow at him, but said nothing.

Beetlejuice took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. He had to figure out how he could keep them from telling Layla everything about him. He looked at her out of the corner of his eye. She was so beautiful standing there. He wondered how she would handle the news if she heard it? Would she banish him away from her? Stay mad at him forever? He felt a knot in his stomach thinking about that. He shook his head, he had to pull himself together. One thing at a time and the first thing was to make one hell of a introduction.

"You okay?" She asked since he'd been quiet since they walked out.

"Sure Babes, you ready?" He asked smiling at her. She smiled back and it lit her face.

"You better believe it."

"Then it's showtime." He said. Layla laughed at him as they walked down to the second floor and peered over the railing. Layla's eyes widened when she looked down and she gasped, a wide smile on her face. Beetlejuice looked at her for a second confused, then followed her line of vision and burst out laughing.


	13. Surprises

Yeah okay, so the last chapter cliffhanger was on purpose, but hey...if you got a royal flush, you don't show you're whole hand, just the ten of hearts ;)

So sue me, I love hearing how much you want the story to go on. So :P

And yeah, I am sadistic and mean and you all know it and you love it!! As my brother says "I see the devil everyday, but my mom just says it's my sister." Direct quote and yeah, that's me. I love it!!

Anyway on with the story!! It's Showtime!! you gotta love it. Surprises are revealed and Layla and Lydia meet for the first time OO And as promised we're going into M rating.

Special note to myweirdlywikednature: I meant to respond the last chapter, but I forgot..You might want to claim him, but I'll get there first ;)

Loves, Enjoy and Review!!!

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"So my eyes didn't deceive me." Layla asked laughing with Beetlejuice. He shook his head and had to wait for his laughing to die down. 

"No Babes, you aren't mistaken." He said and leaned down again to look again. To his surprise he didn't see Lydia first immediately, but her husband. It was the same man that Rowena called upon a week ago, Jack.

"Look how pale he is and Rowena looks like she's going to throw up." Layla said. "Oh this is too much fun." She looked at Beetlejuice, a smile resting on her lips.

"It really is now Babes." He said and looked down with a new smugness. Rowena was standing next to Jack, pale and green around the edges and Sloane was talking with none other than Lydia herself. She'd aged well over the years, her black hair still as dark as ever and only a few lines starting to form around her eyes. She was dressed in a simple black cocktail dress, her arm resting on Jack's sleeve. He looked at her and found himself surprisingly disinterested in her. The only thing that rested on his mind was hoping that Layla didn't find out too much tonight.

"Shall we join them?" Layla asked, a twinkle in her eye.

"Sure thing Babes, but let's go down and mingle a little bit before we show ourselves to them." He said.

"You can make me appear to them?" She asked.

"Of course I can." He said and winked at her. "You don't have a very good memory Babes, I am the ghost with the most." She rolled her eyes and tucked her arm in his, squeezing his arm with her delicate hand. He smiled at her and they walked down the stairs together.

"When did you get into macabre Mrs. Deetz?" Rowena asked trying to distract herself from Jack. She wished that a hole would open up and swallow her up, she was so mortified when she opened the door and saw her lover standing there with his wife. Not to mention that his wife was the daughter of the man that her husband was trying to get as a client.

"About twenty years ago I had this amazing experience that opened up all sorts of doors for my creativity." Delia said.

"I wouldn't call it amazing." Lydia said and shivered.

"What happened?" Sloane asked interested.

"I'd rather not relive it." Charles said and shivered. Beetlejuice couldn't help himself, he walked right next to good ol' Chuck. Layla giggled when he winked at her.

"Did you have any trouble finding the place?" Sloane asked turning to Jack. Jack looked around, his eyes widening and started to open his mouth.

"Not really, he just kept whining that he didn't feel good. I swear sometimes Jonathon acts just like the kids." Lydia said and smiled. Jack just closed his mouth and nodded curtly as Sloane smiled.

"I thought you're name is Jack?" He asked.

"It is, well it's Jonathon, but everyone calls me Jack except for Lydia." He said. Sloane nodded and turned back to Lydia.

"How old are your children, Lydia is it?" He asked. Beetlejuice walked over with Layla on his arm to listen to Lydia. She smiled brightly when he brought up her children.

"They're ten, eight and five." She said proudly.

"I'd like to meet them sometime. I love kids, unfortunately Rowena and I haven't been able to have our own yet, but I'm hoping that will change soon." He said and looked over at Rowena. She just stood there, rooted to her spot. Layla watched as Sloane looked lovingly at his wife and she didn't even look at him. She wanted to feel sad for Rowena, but she just couldn't make herself. Her husband was standing there hoping for a look back, but she almost ignored him. She wished that someone would look at her that way and sighed.

"What's wrong Babes?" Beetlejuice asked. She turned to look at him and smiled.

"Nothing."

"You're such a liar." He said and slid his arm around her waist. Without thinking she leaned into him, resting herself on his frame.

Why did she always have to do that? Every single time he wasn't thinking about sex she had to go and do something sexy and she didn't even know she was doing it.

"I'm getting tired of this chitchat. What do ya say we let em' know we're here." He said. Layla looked up at him and smiled.

"Sounds like a good idea to me." She said. He smiled down at her and took a deep breath. It was now or never and he'd rather get it over with. He blinked the lights on and off and started shuttering the house. Had to start with the classics first.

"What on Earth is going on here?" Charles asked, his eyes widening.

"Didn't I tell you?" He asked smiling. "My house is haunted."

"W..what?" Charles stammered. He clutched his heart when the lights snapped off and all the candles that were waiting to be lit for dinner lit up burning bright and high.

"Nice touch." Layla said, impressed. Beetlejuice couldn't help himself, his chest swelled a little bit.

"Gotta go with the classics Babes. Look at good ol' Chuck, he's about to have a coronary." He said. Layla looked over and saw that Charles had turned pasty white.

"So I take it he doesn't like all this stuff." She said. Beetlejuice roared with laughter.

"Not hardly Babes, he'd rather be by some lake with a blanket over his legs feeding the ducks." Layla let a laugh ring out that made him smile at her. "Shall we let ourselves known?" He asked. She nodded, still smiling and grabbed his hand.

"Let's go back up the stairs." She said and pulled him up the stairs for a grand entrance. He looked at her and snapped his fingers. "Say somethin' to them Babes. They'll hear you now." He said. She smiled and turned to face the people who were looking around.

"Did we miss the party." She called out. Everyone turned to look at the stairs.

"Who said that?" Charles asked in a high voice.

"Go on Babes, this is your moment." He said. She turned to look at him, nervous and scared.

"But I thought," She started.

"I'll be there, I just wanna see you shine first." He said. She gulped and nodded. She turned back and took a deep breath, letting out slowly. She put on a huge smile and started to walk down the stairs.

Rowena watched the staircase, her eyes growing wide as she saw someone appear. She stuck out her lip when she saw the striking young descend down the staircase.

"You're the ghost that's been haunting this house?" She asked frowning. Layla just smiled at her.

"That's right, I'm Layla." She said turning to the Deetzes. Beetlejuice wanted to burst out laughing when he saw Charles visibly relax. He almost felt sorry for the guy, almost.

"You must be Charles." She said floating over to him. He smiled at her and was charmed.

"You're certainly different from the last ghost I saw." He said, taking her cold hand.

"Am I really?" She asked, laughing at him. "Well if you like me, you should love my date." She said. Beetlejuice smiled at her when she turned to look at him.

"Ya mean ya didn't miss me Chuck?" He asked and cackled. Layla loved watching the color drain from their faces.

"B..b..." Charles stammered. He threw a metal plate against his mouth.

"Ah, ah, ah. No saying the magic words." Beetlejuice said wagging his finger. "That goes for you too." He said throwing a plate on Delia's mouth.

Lydia just stood there watching in complete shock as she saw the ghost of her nightmares once again. She couldn't seem to make her mouth work as she stared at him.

"Hi ya Babes. Miss me?" He asked. She just stared at him.

"I want ya to meet my new girl." He said and slung his arm around Layla. Layla looked up at him and smiled. Lydia looked from Beetlejuice to the pretty ghost and back again.

"You..." She said and trailed off.

"What's going on here Lydia?" Jack asked.

"So the cheater wants to know what's going on." Beetlejuice said. Lydia was just about to send Beetlejuice back to where he belonged when she heard the words out of his mouth.

"What?" She asked.

"Oh you didn't know?" Layla asked, a smile still on her mouth. "Your little husband came over to see our little Rowena here. Seems that she's been seeing him for quite some time." Layla said looking at Jack. Jack looked at her and shook his head. Lydia turned to look at him, her eyes widening.

"What's she talking about Jonathon?" She asked.

"I have no idea Honey, I've never seen this person in my life."

"Of course you haven't you moron, I'm a ghost." Layla said. Sloane looked at the pretty ghost and back over to Jack.

"What's going on? Do you have a name?" Sloane asked. Layla turned to him and couldn't help but feel a little bad.

"My name is Layla and Beej and I saw Jack over there come here last week because Rowena wanted to see him again. Apparently they've been a hot item for a while." She said. Sloane looked at Rowena, confusion clear on his face.

"She's lying." She spat out. "You're gonna believe that...that..thing over your wife?" She said pointing her finger at Layla.

"You are you going to believe?" Beetlejuice asked, bored. "My Babes over here or your two timing wife?" Sloane looked from one person to another and didn't know what to think.

"You're still causing trouble aren't you Beetlejuice?" Lydia spat out. He shrugged at her.

"You send me back and my Babes will just bring me back, so it's really pointless Lyds." He said. Lydia inhaled deeply and narrowed her eyes at him she turned to Layla who was looking at Beetlejuice, unmistakable love in her eyes.

"You love him don't you?" She spat out. Layla looked at Lydia and blinked. She felt humiliation rising up on her. "I bet you he never told you about what he did to me." She said.

"No." Layla said shooting a glance at Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice rolled his eyes and sighed.

"Oh hell, here we go." He said.

"What did he do?" Layla asked, intrigued.

"He tried to marry me, against my will. Not to mention that I was only seventeen years old, so he could get out of wherever he goes. Not to mention that he almost killed my father." Lydia said and turned to look at her father and step mother who had the metal plates on their mouths as they tried desperately to get them off. Actually, that look worked for Delia. Lydia couldn't help, but smile at that.

"Really, that's interesting." Layla said walking towards Lydia.

"Isn't it? He's been my nightmare for years. You might as well save that love of yours because it doesn't mean anything to him. If you're not living then you're just a toy. A nice toy, but still a toy." She spat out.

"You better watch it Lyds. If I recall, you agreed to marry me." He said.

"Yeah, it was that or Adam and Barbara were going to be exorcized." She shot back. He shrugged at her, couldn't argue with that.

"Yeah okay, so I wanted to get out of that hell hole that I'm in, so sue me. You were there and I took my chance." He said and shrugged. "Besides, seems like you got saddled with a cheater anyway." Lydia wanted to retort, but she looked at Jack and he just looked down at the ground, not meeting her eyes.

"You mean it's true?" She asked. He looked back up at her, with blood in his eyes.

"Yeah it's true Lydia. I had an affair with Rowena. I cheated on you, okay? There I said it and it was good too, but I decided that I wanted to make things work with us. So I've been faithful for months now." He said.

"You no good son of a bitch." She said shaking her head.

"Can you blame me? You're consumed with your kids and your photography. I needed someone who wanted excitement in their life and not give a shit about kids." He shot back.

"You don't care about kids?" Sloane asked looking at Rowena. She'd been silent for the whole time, but now that everything was out she looked at her husband.

"No, I don't care about kids. I never have and thank God I can't have any. You know that Sloane? I can't have children, but I didn't want to tell you because you wanted children so badly and I felt sorry for you. Yeah, that's right I felt sorry for you." She spat out.

"I can't believe you Rowena. You could have told me. I would have understood." He said.

"Yeah right and you still went to your secretaries anyway."

"What are you talking about. I never cheated on you." He said.

"Yeah right, all those late nights, what were you doing?" She asked.

"I was working Rowena. How else do you think I was able to afford all those diamonds you like? Jesus Rowena, I can't believe it. Everything you've told me was a lie." He said and shook his head.

Beetlejuice just sat back and listened to everything that was happening. This was the easiest bio-exorcism that he'd ever done. They'd destroyed themselves and he'd just let it all happen to them. Layla was standing there silent as she watched everything. She did feel genuinely bad about what was happening to Sloane. He didn't deserve that kind of news, but what else could be done? She thought about what Lydia had said and yeah, it was shitty what he did to her, but that was Beetlejuice, she couldn't really fault him for his personality. She'd already accepted that. What did bother her was what she'd said about being a toy if she wasn't breathing. That little bit was nagging at the back of her mind and she had a feeling it wouldn't go away.

"Well, now that everything's out in the open, what do you say you all get the hell out of my house so I can have some peace and quiet?" She said.

"Yeah, all of you get the hell outta her house." Beetlejuice said and lifted them all up, hurling them out one by one and slamming the door on them.

"What the hell just happened?" Charles asked, the metal plate now gone from his face.

"I'll tell you what happened." Sloane said angrily. "I'm calling my lawyer." He said and got up to dust himself off. "You wanna come with me?" He asked holding out his hand to Lydia. She looked at him and nodded. She got up and dusted herself off as well.

"You two deserve each other." She said to Rowena and Jack. "As for the kids, we'll have to see when you can see them." She said.

"I don't give a shit Lyds. I really don't, I never wanted kids, but you were so damn fertile." He said shaking his head.

"Asshole." She said and walked away with Sloane and her parents.

Layla watched them leave and turned to Beetlejuice a small smile on her lips.

"You did it, you made them leave." She said.

"You did it too Babes, you were great." He said and walked over to her, grabbing her shoulders.

"Yeah." She said.

"Come on, you should be happier than that. You got them outta your house. You can have peace and quiet."

"I just feel bad for Sloane I suppose. Besides, what Lydia said was rather interesting."

"Oh shit, come on now Babes, that was a long time ago. I've changed since then." He said.

"No you haven't Beej, I doubt you'll ever change. I don't mean about trying to get out of where you're at. You've already said that you wanted to. I meant about what she said about me being a toy."

"Ah hell. Come on Babes." He said.

"Am I just a toy? Since I'm not living?" She asked, but she was scared to know the answer.

"Fuck Layla, that's not fair." He said and ran a hand through his hair.

"I see." She said and nodded, her heart smashed into a thousand pieces. Lydia had seen that Layla loved him and she said it out loud so now he knew it and all he could say was that it wasn't fair.

"You see what Layla?" He asked, angry now.

"You don't care about me, you just see me as something that's pretty that you can get your hands on." She said and shook her head. She wouldn't allow him to see her cry, it was too much for her.

"Dammit, I won't apologize for wanting to screw you. I won't do it Layla." He said.

"Fine, don't then." She said and turned to walk up the stairs.

"Come off it Layla, this was a good night. Why ruin it?" He asked following her. She stopped and turned to him.

"You can't even say it can you? You can't even say that you might care about me." She said and heard the tears in her voice, damn him.

"What do you want me to say? That I like ya? Yeah, I like ya Babes." He said. She just shook her head and walked up to her attic.


	14. Trust

You guys keep me going, you know that? I love it and you know it, but I always gotta say it.

Okay so things get...romantic... so if it's too graphic for you...sorry...don't know what to tell ya.

To My name...is Fabulous: I totally took it as a compliment and loved every word ;) You know you can't be brilliant and sane, it just doesn't work! PLUS bad guys, well girl in my case, ALWAYS have more fun and I'm having a total blast!!

Enjoy and Review!!!!

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Shit, shit, shit, shit. Why did Lyds have to go and say that? He fumed downstairs. At least Layla didn't send him back, but still. She was pissed, he knew that much, but why? Cause he didn't say that he, what? Loved her? No, she said cared for her. Whatever, it was the same damn thing. He flung himself down on the couch looking at the untouched food that was laying around him before he lit a cigarette. He'd heard Lydia say that Layla loved him, but Layla didn't say it. Who knew if it was true or not? He smiled to himself at the thought of her loving him. Might be kinda cool, have a chick ready and waiting. Except she wasn't ready and never waiting. Fuck it. He took a long drag on the cigarette and held it for a few seconds. She looked so goddamned good tonight and she was teasing and playing with him and Lyds had to go and say that shit, getting Layla all hot under the collar. He blew the smoke out of his nose and waited. He'd let her cool her jets before he came up to see her. He knew that he could get her to come around, it was just a matter of time.

Layla opened up the door to her small bedroom and fell on the bed. It had taken every ounce of strength not to start crying when she was talking to him. It just wasn't fair, she didn't even want to admit love to herself and Lydia had to go and say something like that. Then, just to throw some salt in her open wound she told her that she was just a toy to him. He didn't even bother telling her that she was more than that. That's all she wanted, just to know that she was more than a pretty doll to him. Didn't he like her as a person? He couldn't even admit that to her, she didn't dare ask if he loved her back, it would be too much for her to bear. She felt the tears welling up and she turned into her pillow, trying to make as little noise as possible as she cried.

Beetlejuice finished his cigarette and crushed it on the sofa, leaving a burn mark and flicked it away. He looked down at the burn mark he'd just made. Layla would probably be pissed if she saw that. He snapped his fingers and it disappeared. He smiled a little at that, he wasn't such a bad guy. Thought about what she'd like and what she wouldn't. She had to understand that, she just had to. He got up from the couch and stretched, deciding to go up and see if Layla had cooled her jets yet. He walked up the stairs and opened her door without knocking.

Dammit, if there was one thing he hated more than a sandworm, it was seeing a chick cry. Layla had her face in the pillow, her shoulders shuddering as she cried, no she wasn't just crying she was sobbing. Fuck, she just had to go and do this to him didn't she? He just knew in some small demented area of her, she was enjoying this.

"Uh, Babes?" He asked from the corner or the room. She froze as she heard his voice and tried to gain some ounce of composure before she turned.

"What do you want?" She asked and wiped underneath her eyes, knowing that all of the makeup she did have on was now washed away.

"To talk to ya." He said. She turned to look at him, her face paler than he thought it could go and black smudges around her eyes.

"I think you said everything you needed to say downstairs." She said and sniffed again.

"Come off it Babes, what do you want me to do? Whatever it is, I'll do it, just don't start crying and shit again." He said. She swallowed the lump that was in her throat and shook her head.

"I shouldn't have to tell you to do anything?"

"Uh, in case you haven't noticed, you do. I'm here at your command remember?"

"Not when it comes to this your not. Besides I just asked you a simple question. You couldn't answer it." She spat out, trying to get all of the black out from underneath her eyes.

"Fuck Babes, you wanna know somethin'? I didn't wanna say it, but you forced it outta me. When you sent me back for that whole week, all I could think about was you. That's it," He said. Layla frowned and opened up her mouth.

"Don't even start it. I know what you were gonna say and no, it wasn't just your incredibly sexy body. I was thinkin' 'bout what you said and how you acted. All of you dammit, okay? I like all of you." He spat out at her. Layla blinked at what he'd said and rubbed her eyes.

"Why didn't you just say that downstairs?" She asked.

"Thought I did." He shrugged.

"No you didn't." She said getting angry.

"Pretty sure I did. I said, I like you."

"Yeah, but it was like you were throwing it off."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means that you were just saying it."

"Well you didn't say anything to me either."

"What do you want me to say?"

"What the hell kind of double standard is this? You don't want to tell me what to say, but you want me to tell you what to say? Fuck that shit." He spat out. Layla just stared at him, she'd been caught in her own double standard.

"You're right." She said looking down.

"'Scuse me?" He asked.

"I said you're right. That's not fair of me to say." She kept her head down. "I shouldn't have said anything at all." She said and lifted her head up. "I'm sorry." She looked at him, her eyes red. God, she looked so helpless and wounded like a little animal. He sighed and walked over to her and pulled her into his arms and she buried her head into his chest.

"Don't be sorry Babes and don't cry anymore." He said.

"Too late." She mumbled against his clothes and he smiled, his chin resting on her head. "Listen I know that Lyds said some stuff tonight that got you all upset. But think about the source Babes? She's pissed at me, always will be pissed for the rest of her life. I'm like her mortal enemy or somethin'." He said. Layla looked up and smiled a little.

"There ya go, a little smile for me." He said and made her smile even more. "See I'm not such a bad guy. I make you laugh, I just want a little more from ya too. Can ya blame me?" He asked. She pushed away from him and wiped her eyes for the second time.

"You're not a bad guy Beej, you're just...well, you. I know what you're like and I like you that way. All I wanted to hear from you is that you liked me too. Emotional wreck and all." She said. He smiled at her and gave her a small kiss.

"I like you, emotional wreck and all." He said against her mouth. She smiled against him and without thinking she deepened the kiss. He was shocked, but only for a split second before he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to him drawing her into his chest. Instead of freezing on him like she'd done before, she wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling his head down further.

Layla had never done anything like this before, except for the few times with Beetlejuice and it was unlike any other experience she'd ever had. She couldn't remember how many times she'd watched some movie or show on television and wished that it was happening to her and now it was. He gently slid his tongue into her mouth and at first she began to stiffen up, but she forced herself to stay calm and soon she became accustomed to it and started to like it.

He had to control himself with her. She was accepting him and it was a start and he know if he did too much he'd blow the whole thing. He gently slid his jacket off and tossed it aside without breaking their kiss. He loved the feeling of her, soft skin and there wasn't enough for him. He reached around and found the zipper to her gown, gently pulling it down to reveal more. Layla froze up and pulled away from him, breaking their bond. Before she could say anything he grabbed her arms and forced her to look into his eyes.

"You trust me Babes?" He asked, no humor in his voice. Layla blinked at him and bit her lower lip. "It's not a trick question." He said, almost desperate. She sighed and tried to push away her fear.

"I trust you BJ." She said in a whisper. He nearly shouted with relief when he heard that.

"Good, now just relax and we'll take it slow." He said. She gulped and nodded and he pulled her in to kiss him again. "You do know that you're going to have to be naked at some point and the sooner the better for me." He said against her mouth. She gently pulled away from him.

"It's so awkward for me though. I'm embarrassed." She said and he laughed at her.

"Trust me Babes, you have absolutely no reason to be embarrassed. You are so beautiful it almost hurts to look at ya." He said. She laughed and he pulled her in again, reaching for her zipper and sliding it down. She focused on him as felt the material slide away from her body and his hands around her bare back. She slowly reached up and loosened his tie, taking it off. She felt herself becoming more and more relaxed and she smiled against him.

"What are ya smilin' at Babes?" He asked yanking the tie off of him. She reached up and unbuttoned the first button on his shirt.

"You." She said. "This is starting to get fun."

"Oh it gets better." He said.

"It does? Hmm I don't see how." She said and giggled when he threw her back against the bed.

"Let me show you." He said. She took a deep breath and nodded. She said she trusted him and she was bound and determined to show him that she did. He bent down and kissed her neck, tasting the intensity there. She tasted dark and mysterious and he wanted more, but forced himself to just stay there.

"Oh." Layla whispered when he kissed her neck and she slowly put her arms around his back, feeling his muscles under his shirt. She realized that she wanted to feel him, feel his skin under her hands and it surprised her. She heard herself moan against him and he lifted his head up and smiled.

"Told ya." He said and smiled. She reached for his shirt and tugged at it, reaching for the buttons. He laughed at her and unbuttoned his own shirt. "Getting anxious now are we? Ya know we could have done a lot sooner if ya woulda just trusted me."

"Beej, can we not talk about this right now." She said urgently and sat up, pushing his shirt off of him and reached around, feeling him.

"Uh, your more covered than I am now and that's a problem." He said and gently pulled the dress away from her body.

"Good God Layla, you're more than I ever could have begun to imagine." He said sucking in his breath. She was beyond gorgeous and his eyes weren't big enough to see everything. Layla was becoming uncomfortable as he stared at her and began to pull her arms up to cover herself. He grabbed her wrists and yanked them back.

"Don't you dare even think about it." He said and pulled her into him, feeling her skin against his. Layla concentrated on relaxing as his hands roamed her back and he gently pushed her back down to the bed. "Remember that you said you trust me." He said and she nodded.

"I do trust you." She said. She loved the feeling of his skin pressed against hers. Strong and powerful against her softer and weaker body. She reached up to kiss him and ran her hands across his bare back, pressing him against her even more.

He could have spent an eternity with her and it still wouldn't have been enough as he broke the kiss and traveled down her body. Her breath hitched when he reached her breast and lingered there. He took his time, searching and exploring each and every inch of skin. She ran her hands through his hair and yanked on it.

"Gettin' kinda pushy aren't ya Babes?" He asked. She didn't try to stop the moan that escaped out of her along with her heavy breathing. "Just you wait." He said and traveled down her body further, resting on her flat stomach for a moment or two before he went down a little further.

Layla's mind seemed to be numb as he moved down her body. She'd never been this close to anyone and it was incredible. He reached her hip bone and she flinched, unconsciously. He paused and looked up at her, one eyebrow raised.

"I'm trusting you I swear, it was just a reaction." She said. He just kept looking at her and traced his hand down between her breasts, down her stomach and further. He reached her and she was shocked for a second before it melted away and she moaned from somewhere deep within her. He wanted to scream with triumph when he saw her eyes growing soft as she accepted his touches to her. He kept staring at her face as he made his way between her legs, reaching her and found her already excited. He smiled when her eyes widened up as he slid a finger inside her, feeling her.

"You're so beautiful Layla." He said and moved up to kiss her open lips, still keeping his hand in her. All she could do was moan and throw her head back as she began to move to his touch.

Layla never knew she could have these feelings within her and yet they were unlocking themselves all because of him. She felt an incredible pressure building up that never seemed to end and she never wanted it to. She ran her hands over his back and moved her legs as she felt him exploring her. It all seemed so impossible, but it was happening and he kept the pressure building in her until she felt like she was going to explode.

He watched her as she climaxed and he never wanted it to end. She threw back her head and screamed, her breathing heavy and hitched. He leaned into her and kissed her deeply as she jerked with aftershocks.

"That was..." She breathed, but couldn't finish and shook her head. He just smiled at her and undid the button on his pants. He had to keep them on until now or else he knew he would have messed up and he couldn't mess up with her.

"It's not over yet." He said and finished undressing. "Put your legs around me Babes." Layla did as he said and felt her long, strong legs wrapping around him. She felt him as he started to come inside her, slowly and raised her hips to him. God, she felt so incredible to him, like nothing else and that was something that even blew his mind. He still had to go slowly because he knew what was ahead and she didn't. He reached her maidenhead and felt her wince at pain.

"What the hell was that?" She asked at the sudden jerk of pain that coursed through her.

"It's your maidenhead Babes, you've never had sex before." He said trying with all his power to not to move.

"Of course I haven't." She said and winced some more. "Ouch, that hurts. I don't want to do this anymore." She said and tried to move.

"Don't move Babes, you have no idea how difficult it is for me to be still here. I'm trying to give you some time to become comfortable. You can't expect me to just stop, it doesn't work like that." He said through clenched teeth. She nodded and tried to relax herself. He held himself over her, his eyes clenched shut tight as he tried not to move. She was so incredible, inside and out and he wanted so much more. She moved a little underneath him and he moaned.

"I'm sorry Babes." He said and kissed her hard as he plowed through her, accepting her screams of pain in his mouth. He pushed further into her, wanting to feel everything and reached her womb and shuddered.

Layla swallowed her cries and felt the tears seeping out through her closed eyes. It hurt something fierce as he pushed in her. She opened her eyes and saw him freeze over her and felt him climax in her. She watched as he threw his head back and shout with thick satisfaction. He collapsed on top of her, not able to move. The pain was dying down, but she still felt a pulling somewhere in her.

Beetlejuice couldn't even remember what his name was as he laid there, his breathing slowly coming back to normal. He'd hurt her and he knew he was going to, but he'd tried to make it as painless as possible.

"I'm sorry Babes." He said and rolled off of her, pulling her next to him. She laid her hand on his chest for a moment before she said anything.

"Why did it hurt so much?" She asked against his chest. He felt her lashes flutter against his skin as she blinked and smiled.

"I told ya. I was because you were a virgin, but not anymore." He said with so much pride that she lifted her head to look up at him.

"Will it always hurt?" She asked. He turned and smiled at her.

"Nope, you'll see soon enough." He said. She laid her head back down and thought hard. What happened before was incredible, but after that was something she hadn't expected.

"Are you sure?" She asked. She waited for his answer and when he didn't respond she looked up. "Beej?" She asked and saw that he'd fallen asleep, snoring slightly. She couldn't help but smile a little. He would always be Beetlejuice and she loved him. She would admit it freely to herself now, but she wouldn't dare say it to him.


	15. Three's A Crowd

Okay, so they got romantic and Layla admitted her feelings to herself. Awww, all should be well in the land of BJ and Layla, but you know that I never make things easy do I?

So I had a really rough day at work today so PLEASE give me lots of reviews, they always make me feel tons better!

Enjoy as always and Review!

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Layla woke up to the sound of banging and slamming around the downstairs of the house. She sat straight up in her bed, the sheets tangled around her and Beetlejuice.

"What the hell is that." Beetlejuice roared beside her. She turned to look at him, her own surprise gone as she laughed at him. His hair was standing straight on end, the sheets tangled around his torso. "What's so funny?" He asked looking at her in the morning light. Her long hair was tangled around her face and even though she didn't know it, she had a glow about her as she laughed.

"You look like you got your finger stuck in a light socket." She said still giggling. He reached up and felt his long hair up on end and shrugged.

"We outta get up and see who's in this house now." He said. Layla nodded and started to get up out of bed. It was a full second before she realized that she was completely naked and Beetlejuice was staring at her, his eyes dilating with lust.

"Beej!" She said and grabbed the sheets from the bed wrapping them around her. She was still very sore from last night and hunched over, her stomach muscles burning.

"What?" He asked, laying back down in the remaining sheet.

"Do you ever think about anything other than sex?" She asked remembering the pain that she'd felt and shuddered.

"Nope, not usually." He said. She rolled her eyes and limped into the bathroom, slamming the door. He just chuckled and laid back down in the bed when he heard the shower turning on.

"Want me to join you in there?" He called. She opened up the door and popped her head out.

"In where? The shower?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, you know that's a place where you can get really...creative." He said and winked at her. She gave him the worst evil eye that she could conjure.

"I really am curious to see what's going on downstairs and I think you'd take too long. There must be about a century of dirt on you, but you do need a shower." She said and smiled.

"Fat chance of getting me in there...unless of course you're there too." He said and gave her a smile. She smiled back at him and closed the door.

"We'll see." She called from the closed door. Anything to get him to clean up she'd risk another hour or so of pain. He smiled at himself and got out of the bed and snapped his fingers, dressing himself. He turned on the television to wait as Layla got ready. She emerged from the bathroom dressed in a pair of black slacks and a dark blue top. Her dark red hair, wet and slick down her back.

"Took ya long enough, there's been banging down there ever since." He said and got up.

"Unlike you, I like to be clean." She said over her shoulder as she went to the door and opened it. The hot water had helped her sore muscles, but she still felt a hard pulling.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." He said and followed her out. She laughed at him and looked over the railing.

"Oh my God." She said leaning over the railing before she looked back at him, her eyes wide and walked down the stairs. Beetlejuice just followed her, not bothering to look over. "I thought we got rid of you last night?" She called to Sloane. He turned to look at her, since she'd been revealed he saw her fully, not just felt her presence. He gave a little smirk and held a garbage bag. He could tell she was angry, her long wet hair sticking to the side of her face when she whipped it around.

"Did you think I would leave my home that easily?" He asked picking up another piece of garbage and throwing it into a garbage bag. "You got another thing coming." He said and Layla just raised her eyebrow and looked at Beetlejuice, folding her arms across her chest and narrowed her eyes.

"I thought you said you could get rid of them?" She asked. Beetlejuice gave her a lazy smile and shrugged. He took out another cigarette and lit it, taking a deep drag before answering her.

"Well, I guess the job's not over yet." He said blowing smoke out his nose.

"You bet it's not. This is my house and I'll stay here for as long I want to." Sloane said over her shoulder.

"Correction, this is my house and no you won't." Layla said whipping around to look at Sloane again. "Trust me when I say that I felt sorry for you last night, but not sorry enough to let you stay here." She said, not budging. He walked straight up to her and looked down in her face.

"Layla is it?" He asked when she didn't move an inch. "Well Layla, you might haunt this house, but I bought it with my hard earned money and I intend to stay in here whether you like it or not." He said and pushed her out of the way. Layla stood there shocked by his push and glanced at Beetlejuice and had to hide a smile when she saw his eyes grow angry. "By the way, don't feel too bad for me. Our marriage was over long before Rowena started being unfaithful, but neither of us wanted to admit it." He said over his shoulder as he bent down to pick up the rest of the garbage.

Layla stared him down, but felt helpless against him. There really was nothing that she could do.

"You keep your little boyfriend around and you two can do whatever you think, but I'll still keep coming back. You can't stop me and you know it." Sloane said matter-of-factly as he turned to look at her. "Since I can see you and your boyfriend now it's just a matter of acting civilly with one another and we'll get along fine. I won't bother you and you won't bother me." He said. Layla narrowed her eyes and turned on her heel, walking back up the stairs, Beetlejuice on her heels.

"I thought you said you came one hundred percent guaranteed?" She spat when they got back to her bedroom. He just shrugged at her and leaned against the wall.

"Never said it didn't take more than once. I could kill him ya know, that would be permanent." He said.

"No, I don't want him killed, just out of the house." Layla had a headache now on top of her pulled muscles. She just wanted it all to solve itself.

"Well then, it seems like you're in a bit of a pickle. Either ya want him killed off or ya have to deal with him for a while. It's up to you Babes." He said finishing his cigarette and crushing it under his boot. She glared at him and sank down into her chair. She might love the bastard, but she sure didn't like him right now. It wasn't fair, last night was high, then low, then high again, then low again. It made her dizzy just thinking about it and now she was still at low and confused and she didn't know what to do.

"Listen Babes, why don't you let him have this small little victory for a while. Without Rowena here you might be okay for a little bit. That way we can really figure out what to do." He said coming down on his haunches to look at her. He didn't mind if Sloane was around because that gave him an excuse to stick around without her just zapping him back if she got pissed. He knew that she was still hurting from last night, not that it really mattered to him all that much. He wanted her again already and he was pissed at himself that he'd fallen asleep afterwards or else she would have woken up with a smile on her face this morning.

"Maybe, Sloane and I really didn't have much of a relationship. It was all Rowena so I might be able to suffer him until we can figure out how to get him out permanently." Layla pondered out loud.

"Couldn't be too bad could it?" He asked shrugging. Layla looked at him and smiled a fiendish smile and dashed out of the room. "Wait a minute Babes. Where are you going?" He asked running after her.

"Maybe not too bad, but I can still make his life a little miserable." She said as she ran down the stairs. He raised an eyebrow and followed her down, not knowing what was in her head.

"Sloane." She called out. He turned around the face her, a garbage back still in his hand.

"What do you want?" He asked. She walked right up to him, not backing down an inch.

"You want to stay here then there's going to be some changes. First of all, this furniture has got to go." She said and snapped her fingers making it all disappear. "And the walls need to change, the floors, pretty much everything." She said and snapped everything gone. Beetlejuice looked around and saw nothing but floorboards and sheet rock. Sloane looked around and saw everything the contractor's work that he paid for gone in seconds.

"So what exactly do you have in mind then?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Layla just smiled at him, crossing her arms across her chest.

"To exactly what I had when I was alive." She said. She snapped her fingers again and Beetlejuice watched as everything changed. He had to admit that she had taste as everything fell into place. The bare floorboards were replaced with shinny cherry hardwood floors and a few large Victorian area rugs in deep rich colors. The baseboards, crown molding and wainscoting appeared in creamy whites while the walls went from lime green and gunmetal grey to rich sand and dark russet. The furniture was dark and rich woods, intricately detailed with simple leather seating and brass studding. It was everything opposite of what Sloane and Rowena had created. Where their home screamed of art and modern lines, Layla replaced it all with warm, rich tones and a clean and comfortable home.

Sloane looked around at the walls and floors, the furniture that was arranged around him and nodded his head.

"Looks nice." He said and smiled. "Just my taste." Layla's mouth fell open as she looked at him. She was sure that having everything the way she wanted it would irritate him at the very least.

"Then why did you pull out all of the moldings and railings that was here when you bought it?" She asked.

"That was all Rowena. I always gave in to her because it was easier than getting into an argument.

"Fine, I'm taking the master bedroom as well. I won't be reduced to living in the attic anymore." She said and tried to repress a smile when she saw anger flicker in his eyes.

"I don't think that's necessary," He started, but Layla interrupted him.

"You have four other bedrooms to choose from, pick one." She said and turned on her heel to go to the master bedroom. Beetlejuice just shrugged at Sloane and smiled.

"Women." He said and turned to follow Layla up the stairs. "So Babes, does this mean we get a bigger bed?" He called making Sloane groan and roll his eyes.

Layla walked into the master bedroom. It was the size most people only dreamed about, big enough to hold a large bed and furniture in front of the fireplace. Rowena had painted the walls a lighter shade of grey with a large floating bed with a faux fur comforter sitting on top. The fireplace was now steel and glass and the floors were covered in tile. She wrinkled her nose at it all and snapped her fingers to change it.

The bed transformed into a large four poster bed, stained in a dark walnut with heavy pilasters carved out in an old world style. The covers changed from faux fur to white with black damask stitching that suited her. She had all of the furniture matching the dark stain and the floors transformed back into the dark cherry that ran through the rest of the house. She had the walls change from grey to a dark smokey purple with black and white pictures hanging on the walls. The fireplace was fixed to match the furniture, moldings and a heavy mantle replacing the metal and glass. She finally took a deep breath and looked around.

"Whoa Babes, you work fast." Beetlejuice said when he walked into the room. She turned and smiled at him.

"Thanks, I've been dreaming of my bedroom for quite some time."

"Uh huh, wanna break that bed in?" He asked.

"You are kidding me right? I'm still sore from last night." She said turning at him. He just shrugged and came over to pull her into him.

"I can make you forget that in no time Babes." He said and kissed her closed mouth.

"I don't think so, at least not for a while. You beat me up pretty bad." She said. She could still feel the pulling at her and closed her eyes.

"Come on Babes, remember you said something about a shower? I can show you a lot of new stuff in there." He said.

"If I recall correctly you said something about a shower." She said raising an eyebrow."But you said 'we'll see'. Which means that it's time now." He said and hauled her over his shoulder. She winced at the pain in her lower half and pounded his chest.

"I still hurt a lot, Beej. You wouldn't want to risk hurting me again would you?" She asked. He paused at that, but shook his head. He knew he wouldn't hurt her again. She was just scared about it, but he'd show her that there was nothing to worry about. He pulled her into the bathroom and looked at the ultra modern art deco that swamped the place.

"Ya couldn't have fixed this too?" He asked and dropped her down.

"I hadn't gotten there yet." She said, wrinkling her own nose in disgust. She snapped her fingers again and the black and white tile changed into black granite that ran the floor, counters and a large shower, big enough for two. The showerheads were placed along the sides and two large ones right on top with a glass door separating shower from the rest of the bathroom. There was also a huge bathtub that took two full steps to climb into. Beetlejuice looked right at the shower and shuddered, a thousand images coming to mind.

"Nice shower." He said and turned to look at her. She looked down at the floor, seeing the flecks of russet that shimmered in the black granite.

"I saw it in a magazine once." She said, keeping her head down. He just looked at her and pulled her to him, locking her into a kiss. She couldn't help herself, she melted and her knees gave way making her lean against him. He made the shower turn on and the steam started to roll out. "Are you sure about this?" She asked timidly as she pulled away. He just smiled at her and started unbuttoning her blouse.

"Do you really think there is any other way I'm going to take a shower?" He asked. She had to think about that and sighed. She believed him when he said there would be no way he'd set foot in there unless she was with him. What was another yanking and stretching if it made him wash his hair.

"If you say so." She said and let him finish undressing her.

She felt his mouth on her skin and shuddered. He did do that so well and she let out a soft moan as he made his way down her jaw line and neck. He slowly pushed her into the shower and she felt the warm water covering her from all sides as he joined her. He gently pushed her against the wall and raised her arms up above her head, locking her back into a kiss. She'd never thought about this as she kissed him, but somehow she seemed to forget the pulling inside of her as she was pressed up against the side.

"I never thought about this." She said and he paused to look at her, the water plastering his white blonde hair down.

"Never? Don't you watch any good movies on that TV of yours?" He asked. She shook her head and gave a slight smile.

"I would get a little embarrassed and turn it off." She said and shrugged. He just shook his head and smiled.

"I have so much to teach you Babes, it isn't even funny. But I'm a good teacher." He said and leaned in to kiss her again, pressing himself to her. She ran her hands through his wet hair and pushed him away.

"What the hell Babes?" He said. She just smiled and poured shampoo into her hands and ran it through his hair again. He winced at it until he felt her fingers massaging his scalp. Who knew getting your hair washed would be so relaxing? He leaned in to kiss her as she scrubbed his hair. Layla took her time scrubbing him down and he did the same to her, making sure to reach every inch of her body. She squeaked when he massaged her stomach and back, making his way down. He lifted her leg and she looked at him in question.

"Trust me on this one Babes." He said, near desperate. She braced herself and nodded. He grabbed both of her legs and lifted her up. Layla prepared herself for the oncoming pain, but instead only felt a slight stretching and she began to relax.

"Oh." She said and let her head fall back against the side of the shower. He smiled, but for only a second before he began to move, keeping her locked against the side of the shower and felt the water beating against his back.

Layla didn't think having him inside of her would bring to life all the feelings she had before, but they did. She moved with him and let the moans escape from her mouth, the soft water hitting her face as she held on. It wasn't long before she forgot about everything and screamed out, gripping his back and digging her nails in. He didn't last much longer after that and shouted out. They were still locked against each other for a few minutes as the water turned icy cold and forced them to get out.

"I told ya Babes. You've got to learn to trust me." He said and wrapped a towel around his, now clean body. He hated to admit it, but it felt pretty good being clean and if she would join him every time he wouldn't object to a shower at all. Layla just laughed at him and wrapped a towel around her own body as they walked back into the bedroom.

"Dammit, there's no hot water left in the entire house." Sloane yelled as he pounded on the bedroom door. "I'm filthy and need a shower." He yelled. Layla groaned, this wasn't going to be easy. Beetlejuice opened up the door, still soaking and stared at Sloane.

"We're letting you stay here on our good will right now. Do you really want to get me, in particular, angry?" He asked. Layla was shocked at the menacing tone that came out. Sloane looked at him, his anger fading into worry and shook his head. "Good, now you keep to yourself and we'll keep to ourselves." He said and slammed the door in his face and turned back to Layla. She just shook her head and sighed.

"I wonder how long this is gonna last before we go crazy." She said.

"I hate to admit it to ya Babes, but we're already there. Right now the best thing we can do is make him go crazy too."

"That sounds like fun." She said making him laugh and pull her in to kiss her again.

"Mmm, Beej," She said against his mouth.

"Mmm?"

"Have you ever heard of toothpaste?"


	16. Full House

Thanks you guys for reviewing, you feed my ego and when my ego is being fed I'm able to pull out my best stuff ;)

Okay, so I was listening to a shuffle on my iPod the other day and came across "Let's Hear it for the Boy" from the movie Footloose and I don't know about anyone else, but it totally reminded me of Beetlejuice! I mean just look at the lyrics and you'll see what I'm talking about :) Just thought I'd share that random little bit of information.

Sidenote to Psychotic FluffBunny (formally known as My name...is Fabulous): Don't you just hate it when you lose your password?! I'm glad I didn't lose ya, you keep me on my toes coming up with new material and quick considering I have to feed the Review zombie or monster, whatever :D Besides I like being called a brilliant, but a sadistic and evil person, that's me all the way around and I'm more than thrilled that you don't have a clue about what's going to happen ;) curveballs, you know I love'em!

So I hope that goes for everyone! And I really hope that this next chapter really throws you for a loop!

Read, Enjoy and REVIEW (Seriously people, I can't stress that one enough. Like I said it feeds my ever growing ego I admit it fully.)

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Layla laid down on the chaise lounge in her bedroom and tried to relax with a book, but she had a hundred thoughts running through her head. She didn't want Sloane to be in the house, but at the same time she really just didn't want to deal with it all again. She just didn't feel like exhausting all of her energy on it. She did have Beetlejuice, but now that she had discovered how fun it was to be in bed, he wasn't about to stop that to focus on anything else. She smiled to herself as she thought about that. He really was just a horny old goat and she found that she was loving every minute of it. 

She did make him brush his teeth and take showers regularly now and he hadn't complained for a whole week so there was progress. Now if only she could get him to change his clothes once in a while she'd be a happy woman. He still hadn't said anything about loving her, but then again she hadn't said anything either. She absolutely refused to say anything first, if she had to wait another hundred years then she would. God she hoped she didn't have to. She sighed and laid down her book, rubbing her eyes. Beetlejuice was around somewhere and Sloane was off at work. She got up and walked out of her room and down the stairs. Beetlejuice was in the living room watching television. He turned around when he heard her boots clicking down the stairs.

"Thought you were readin' Babes." He said. She smiled at him, he looked so much different now that all the dirt was scrubbed off his face and hair. She saw the full handsome face that he had, not just glimmers of it now. His pale skin glowed and his hair was soft and shiny instead of dull and standing on end.

"I tried, but I had too many things on my mind." She said walking up to him. He held out his hand and as she took it he hauled her down to him. She fell into him and smiled, used to him grabbing her and pulling her to him.

"Like what?" He asked. She just sighed against him and said nothing. What could she say? That she wanted him to tell her that he loved her? Not hardly.

"Did you do anything to mess with Sloane today?" She asked, thinking of anything to get her mind off him.

"Replaced all of his health conscious crap with edible stuff like booze and shit." He said. She smiled and moved off of his lap to lay down next to him, her legs draped over his own.

"Nice. He hates it when his food is disturbed."

"I had a feeling." He said and winked at her. They laid there watching random shows and flipping channels until Sloane walked through the door and dropped his briefcase.

"Don't you two ever do anything productive?" He asked, disgust in his voice.

"Nope." They said together, not even turning to see him. He sighed sarcastically and dropped on the chair next to the couch.

"You could do something." He muttered. Layla lifted her head to look at him and raised an eyebrow.

"Exactly what would you want us to do Sloane? Go out and get jobs? Oh wait...we can't leave the house. Well what about working at home, that would work right? Except for the convenient fact that we're dead, we don't need to do that so we do whatever pleases us." She said and let her head fall back down to the couch cushion. Beetlejuice hid a smirk as Sloane just looked at them, he just couldn't understand how sitting around all day would be entertaining.

"So this is what you do all day? Sit around and watch TV?" He asked.

"Nope, a lot of the times we're having sex." Beetlejuice said, not even bothering to take his eyes off of the television, making Layla chuckle.

"Ugh, I don't need to hear that." Sloane said and got up to walk into the kitchen. Layla looked at Beetlejuice and they smiled together. "And what the hell happened to all my food?" Sloane called from the kitchen. They broke out and laughed, Layla lifting her legs off Beetlejuice and getting up.

"What food?"

"You know exactly what food." He said coming back out into the living room, furious. "I thought we agreed to act civilly towards one another?"

"I don't remember agreeing to that, do you?" She asked, furrowing her brow and looking at Beetlejuice. He stretched and got up from the couch.

"Nope, I can't remember that either Babes."

"Huh? Now isn't that strange?" She said and tapped a finger against her lips. "Must have been your imagination then. You better start to take it easy Sloane, you're imagination is beginning to run wild."

"You two are impossible." He said throwing up his hands and walking back out of the room.

"It's too easy." She said shaking her head and giggling. Beetlejuice slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her in. "You know this might just be more fun than kicking him outright out of the door. Slow torture you know?" She said. Beetlejuice laughed and kissed her cheek.

"Mmm, slow torture, you know I love it." He said and bent his head down to her neck. "You smell nice." He said and pressed his lips to her neck. Layla always went weak at the knees when he did that.

"So do you." She said in a low voice. There was a knock at the door and they ignored it, waiting for Sloane to answer.

"God don't you two ever quit?" He asked in disgust when he walked back into the room.

"Not if we can help it." Beetlejuice called making Layla smile. Sloane just rolled his eyes and opened up the door and stood there, helpless.

"Can we come in?" Lydia asked and walked through the door, three children in tow. Beetlejuice slowly let go of Layla and turned to look at Lydia and the children who were standing awkwardly around.

"Uh, is there something I can help you with?" Sloane asked, the door still open. Lydia turned to him and sighed.

"Kids, you see those two people over there?" She asked looking straight at Layla and avoiding Beetlejuice at all costs. All three nodded their heads, unsure of what to do. Beetlejuice looked at the two boys and the girl. They all had their mother's pale skin, but one of the boys and the girl had their fathers hair while another boy, looked like the youngest, had his mothers. "Can you go over there and introduce yourselves while I talk with this man?" She asked. Layla watched as all three of them looked at each other, the oldest taking his sister's hand in his. They walked over while Beetlejuice and Layla sat down on the couch.

"Hi, my name is Layla and this is BJ." She said and smiled. They were nervous, but the oldest managed a smile.

"My name is Jordan," The eldest said. "And this is my sister Chloe and my brother Riley." He said.

"Pleased to meet you Jordan." Layla said and held out her hand and Jordan looked at it for a moment before he shook it.

"Your hand's cold." He said and rubbed his hands together. Layla laughed softly at him and held out to shake Chloe and Riley's hands.

Lydia narrowed her eyes at Beetlejuice, but saw that he was sitting back from her children letting Layla talk to them. He looked different and it took her a moment to realize that he was clean.

"What can I help you with?" Sloane asked slightly annoyed.

"We need a place to stay." She said looking up at him.

"What?" He asked and yanked her into the kitchen. "Are you absolutely crazy? Did you not remember that there are ghosts here?" He hissed.

"I know that." She hissed back. "I just couldn't go back to my parents house and I can't afford a place."

"Why do you need a place anyway?" He asked. Lydia looked down at her feet for a few seconds before she looked up.

"Jonathon kicked me out and said he wasn't going to support me and the kids anymore. It was either this or living with Delia again and I can't do that, to myself or my children." She said bitterness overflowing her.

"You do realize that he is with her right?" He asked nudging his head to the other room. Lydia sighed and nodded.

"Yeah I know that, but I also know how to deal with him. If he even comes near my kids, I'll deal with it." She said.

"Fine." He said and they walked back out. "Okay, so we're going to have company for a while." Sloane said and clapped his hands together, rubbing them. Layla and Beetlejuice looked up at Sloane and Lydia who were standing in the middle of the room.

"Uh, can I talk to you for a minute?" Layla said getting up and started to walk over to him.

"Babes." Beetlejuice whispered and grabbed her arm. She turned to look at him. "Don't leave me alone with her."

"Don't worry, she won't do anything with her children in the room." She whispered to him and walked out, grabbing Sloane by the arm and dragging him back into the kitchen.

"Are you absolutely crazy?" She asked. "Since when did I start running a boarding house?"

"Come on Layla, she's been kicked out of her house with her kids."

"And that's my problem because?" She asked.

"Fine you want to act like that? It's partly your fault that her husband kicked her and her children out of the house in the first place." He said and raised an eyebrow. Layla narrowed her eyes at him. He threw a guilt trip at her and it wasn't fair. He smiled and knew that he had her.

"Aw." She said and stomped her foot down. "Fine, but it better not be for long or I'll get testy." She said. He just smiled at her.

"I knew you were a softy, oh and you two have to cool it with your ghosty powers around her kids. I don't want you to spook them."

"Are you nuts?" She asked putting her hands on her hips.

"Come on, they're just kids."

"Fine, but Beej stays here." She said through clenched teeth.

"He was staying here anyway." He said and shrugged.

Beetlejuice stared at Lydia from across the room.

"You look good Lyds." He said. She narrowed her eyes at him and her children looked from their mother to him not saying a word.

"Apparently she's has some sort of good influence on you. I see you've taken a bath recently." She said.

"A couple of them." He said and gave her a smile. She noticed that he'd brushed his teeth too, they were white instead of the grey that she remembered.

"Well you needed a couple and probably a couple more before you're completely clean." She said.

"All right, this is what's going to happen." Layla said as she walked into the room. Beetlejuice got up and went to stand next to her. He felt a little safer next to her, than alone with Lydia.

"Lydia, Jordan, Chloe and Riley are going to be staying here for a while. We've got three other bedrooms in the house that you can pick from." Layla said and rubbed her hands together. Beetlejuice turned to look at her an eyebrow raised, but she just gave him a look and slightly shook her head.

"So we're staying here?" Chloe asked her mother. Lydia sighed and nodded.

"Yes Sweetie, we're staying here." She said.


	17. Coffee Talk

Phew..finished on my lunch break!

Just a quick note that's vitally important!!!! You all should know by now that I never give away any of my plot details, ever. However, in this particular case with this particular detail I am going to shout it out loud and clear.

There is absolutely no way, nada, zip, zilch, not a snowflakes chance in hell that Beetlejuice and Lydia are going to reconcile. That is not what this story is about!!!

In this story Beetlejuice thinks of Lydia as merely an opportunity that he had and she thinks of him as her "mortal enemy" as he puts it. Now I'm not saying that they can't have some sort of understanding later on, but nothing romantic will happen. In case I haven't made it clear enough Beetlejuice is head over heels about Layla and isn't going to drop her just becausae Lyds is here with 3 kids. Right now they are just there to throw a kink in the chain.

So rest aussred and put your minds at ease. As much as I love LydsXBeej, that's for my other stories that I've written, not this one.

Okay enough of the speech. So Lyds is moving in with 3 kids and can't send Beej back or she's out. Sucks to be her ;)

I know I really don't have to say it but...Read, Enjoy and Review!!

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"How could you even consider it Babes?" Beetlejuice asked as he paced their bedroom. To him, it wasn't her bedroom, but theirs since he didn't intend on going away anytime soon, she just didn't know about that yet.

Layla sat on the bed and watched him with mild interest as he walked back and forth in front of her. She smiled and took her hair out of the clip she was wearing and massaged her scalp.

"They needed a place to stay and I can't say no to kids, besides it was our fault that they were kicked out in the first place." She said. He paused to look at her and shook his head, saying nothing before he continued to pace again.

"It wasn't our fault Babes, she would have found out eventually."

"Maybe, maybe not. The fact is that we made that decision a little faster for her and now we have to help her." Layla said simply. Beetlejuice couldn't believe it, she was so giving even to someone that she'd only known for one night and less time then that. She was taking the into her home to make sure that they had a place to stay.

"You're really unbelievable Babes." He said to her. She stopped what she was doing and turned to look at him, an eyebrow lifting up.

"What do you mean unbelievable?" She asked. He smiled at her and shook his head.

"If it were me, I'd just throw them out on their asses, not give a shit about it, but you? You're different, open up your home to people you don't know just so they can have a safe place. It's real nice, you're a good girl." He said. She leaned into him and gave him a small kiss on the mouth.

"I might be a good girl, but I do enjoy bad boys." She said and he smiled at her, pushing her down to the bed and climbing on top of her. She just giggled at him and lifted her head up to kiss him again. There was a knock on the door and two seconds later it opened.

"God, do you two ever stop?" Sloane groaned. Beetlejuice had to control the anger that welled up inside of him as he climbed off of Layla. She turned to look at Sloane, fire in her own eyes.

"Have you ever heard of knocking?" She hissed.

"I did knock."

"Then you wait until someone answers."

"Whatever, listen the other bedrooms don't have any furniture for the kids and I figured that they might want that before they go picking out their rooms." He said looking around. "I like what you did with the place, it's warm and inviting."

"Thanks, where exactly are they now?" She asked.

"I told Lydia to go back to her home and grab the rest of her kid's things so she didn't have to go back there anymore." He said. Layla nodded and got up off of the bed.

"Did you have any idea where you wanted them to go?" She asked walking out of the door. Beetlejuice hung back, but only for a second before he followed. He always got a kick out of watching Layla do a few tricks of her own, besides as much as he hated to admit it to himself, he didn't want her to be alone with Sloane.

"I was thinking that the boys could have the largest of the three bedrooms and Lydia could have the second largest and her daughter could have the third." He said as they walked down the hallway together.

"Well the largest of the three is on the west side, next to your bedroom and the other two are across the hallway."

"Right, so how are you going to decorate?" He asked.

"Does it really matter? I mean they're only going to be here for a little while." Beetlejuice said as he walked behind them, his eyes on Layla's rear as she walked.

"Of course it matters, they might not be here for long, but I want the children to feel welcome, they didn't do anything to deserve being kicked out. Lydia didn't either as a matter of fact." Layla said over her shoulder. She heard Beetlejuice huff and she smiled to herself, he was such a baby sometimes, always wanting his own way.

"Don't you think it will look suspicious if you decorate to fit them though?"

"We could just say that those bedrooms have been empty since we moved in and we haven't changed them. The kids don't need to know any more than that." Sloane said and opened the first door. It was the largest room, a nice view of the neighborhood that had grown around the house, there was still plenty of yard, but you could see the other large houses that dotted the countryside.

"Lets see, do you know anything about the kids?" Layla asked turning to Sloane. He shook his head and looked out the window.

"I just knew that she had three kids, I didn't even know their genders so I'm pretty much clueless."

"Well what do you know about Lydia Beej?"

"She was kinda dark, gothy little girl when I met her. Wore a lot of black and shit, into poetry and books." He said off handedly.

"I see, well that helps for her room, but I'm not sure it helps for her boys so we'll just go with this." She said and snapped her fingers. The room was instantly painted with a rich navy blue and cherry wainscoting. There were two simple beds dressed with some rich colored quilts and a bookcase in between them. Near the closet there were two desks with lights and some writing materials.

"Nice and simple Babes, I like it." Beetlejuice said looking around. She smiled at him and glowed with praise.

"So whatcha gonna do with the little girl?" He asked as they walked into the smallest of the rooms. It wasn't really that small, probably what a normal house would consider an average room.

"Well she was wearing a light spring dress and a white sweater so I'm guessing that she likes bright things like most little girls do."

"Did you?" Sloane asked her. It was the first time anyone other that Beetlejuice asked her about her past.

"Yes, I did." She said and left it at that. She thought about it for a moment before she snapped her fingers. The walls were instantly a bright, buttery yellow with white crown molding and furniture. She gave the girl a small trundle bed painted white to match everything else with a rose carving in the headboard and footboard. The bed was covered in a fluffy white comforter with a small end table and lamp.

"Cute, very cute." Sloane said approving. She rolled her eyes and went to Lydia's room, the easiest room in Layla's opinion. She snapped her fingers and walked out before the men could even see what she did. Beetlejuice and Sloane looked in the room and saw the deep red color splash on the walls with a few black and white photographs and a large black iron bed that twisted to look like a sleigh bed covered in a simple red tone on tone tapestry. A large bookcase that was next to the window seat filled with books and a desk like the boys had that was covered in writing materials and a vase of pure white roses. Beetlejuice turned to look back at Layla and saw her walk back into the master bedroom.

"Hey Babes, wait up." He said and left Sloane to the other bedroom as he walked back to his own room. She quietly had changed from her clothes to a pair of silk pajamas, the same deep red that she painted the walls of Lydia's room. He loved her in silk, the watery material shifting to show the curves that she had and float away from the rest of her. "Nice job on the rooms, you've got a knack for this decorating thing." He said.

"Thank you." She pulled the covers away from their own bed and climbed in. He undressed himself, leaving just a pair of boxers, something he could easily get rid of if she was in the mood. He pulled her to him and she found her favorite spot, her head on his shoulder and her hand on his chest. "Why the black and white suit Beej?" She asked. He frowned at that and put his arm around her.

"Don't know, just saw it and liked it." He said.

"Nothing else?"

"Never thought about it. Why you want me to wear somethin' else?" He asked her. She didn't look at him, just kept her eyes on his chest, rising and falling out of habit.

"You'd look great in anything Beej." She said and yawned closing her eyes. He refused to believe that she had any effect on him and his style, but she did and he knew that tomorrow he'd change into something else to please her. He closed his dropped a kiss on the top of her head and closed his own eyes falling asleep with Layla in his arms.

"I'm sorry it's so late." Lydia said trying to get her children in the house. They were so sleepy that they had fallen asleep on the way back.

"It's all right." Sloane said as he helped her with her luggage.

"No, it's really not, but thank you anyway. I want to get the kids up to their rooms so they can rest." She said, picking up Riley and carrying him up the stairs. Sloane watched the petite woman pick up her youngest who was half the size that she was and carry him up. He helped Chloe and Jordan up the stairs to their bedrooms and get them in, only taking the time to get their shoes off before they collapsed on the beds. Lydia walked out after tucking her daughter in and looked exhausted herself.

"Where's Layla and..." It took everything in her power not to say his name three times and send him back, but she also knew that she was only staying here on Layla's good graces and if she got her upset she'd be out on her ass homeless with her children. "Him, what do I call him anyway?" She asked.

"Layla calls him Beej or BJ." Sloane said and shrugged and Lydia nodded. "They went to bed a little bit ago. Layla fixed up all the rooms for you and your kids so you'd feel comfortable." He said.

"She didn't have to do that." Lydia said and clicked on the light in her room, almost wishing she hadn't. It was so beautiful that she could have sat there for hours just looking at all of the books and things she had on the walls.

"I asked her to and she agreed."

"Why?" Lydia couldn't wrap her mind around it. They were the guests in the house and they were making changes for them, it was almost too much for her to bear.

"I wanted you and your children to feel like this is your home too, for as little or as long as you stay. You're having a tough time already, you don't need to feel like a stranger too." He said and shrugged.

"Well thank you and I'm going to say good night. I guess I'll tell Layla thanks in the morning." She said and walked into her room and quietly closed the door. Sloane turned to walk back to his own room, he only had a few hours before he had to get back up and go to work.

Layla woke up early and carefully slid herself out of Beetlejuice's arms and quietly walked out into the hallway. This was her time that she had before Beetlejuice got up and Sloane got up where she could have some time to think.

"Mom?" A small voice called. Layla heard it coming from the boy's bedroom and saw Riley's head pop out of the door. "Oh, sorry." He said when he saw Layla.

"Wait a minute." She whispered to him. "What's the matter?" She walked up to him and lowered herself to his level so she could look into his eyes.

"I just got a little scared when I woke up." He said.

"That's all right. You're in a new place, it's normal to be scared." She said and smiled at him. "It's a little early though, can you go back to sleep for a little bit?" He looked at her and shook his head.

"Well then do you want to come down to the kitchen and get something to eat? It's still a bit chilly in the house so maybe a cup of cocoa?" She asked. He looked at her and she could tell that he was debating on whether or not he should go. She waited, still smiling before he quietly walked out with her.

It took Layla a little bit to figure out how to use the stove again, it had been so long since she had to physically do things when snapping her fingers was so much easier. He sat down at the large tavern table and watched her while she worked.

"Is this your house or that other guy's?" He asked her when she set down a large mug of cocoa in front of him.

"It's sort of a complicated situation, but technically it's his. He has the deed to the property." Layla said and tried not to sound bitter.

"What's a deed?" He asked her. She smiled at the boy, he was ruffled from tossing and turning, his clothes wrinkled.

"A piece of paper that says you own a piece of property. The property is the land and the house, but in reality it's my house."

"How?"

"It was given to me when my parents died."

"When did your parents die?"

"A long time ago." She said. He nodded at her and took a sip.

"What about that other man that's here. What's his name?" He asked. Layla smiled to herself and looked at the little boy.

"His name is BJ."

"He looks like he's fun, but Mom doesn't like him." Riley said.

"He is very fun."

"Is he your husband?" Riley asked. Layla sat back at his question, such an innocent one that any child would naturally come to the conclusion of.

"No, he's not my husband."

"Boyfriend then?"

"Yes."

"How come Mom doesn't like him?"

"They met a long time ago and I guess it didn't turn out well."

"Was he her boyfriend?"

"No." God, this kid liked to ask questions and they were starting to spin around Layla.

"So what happened?" He asked.

"I think that's enough badgering Layla Riley. You can go into the living room and watch some television while you finish your drink." Lydia said from the doorway. Layla smiled at her, relieved that she didn't have to answer any more questions. Lydia watched as her youngest son walk out into the living room and switch it on to cartoons.

"Thank you for that, I didn't really know what to say." Layla said and when she knew that he couldn't see her, she conjured up some fresh coffee for Lydia and herself to sip on.

"Thank you and you didn't have to tell him anything really. He would have come up with something else to ask you." Lydia said and shrugged.

"He's a curious child isn't he?"

"Yes he is. Listen Layla, I wanted to thank you for everything you've done for my children and myself."

"You're welcome, it's nothing really." She said smiling at the woman. "The only thing I ask you is to not to send Beej back. I like him." Lydia watched the young woman who was before her. Well, if she was honest with herself she was very much older than Lydia was herself, but time froze for her when she died. She still had that fresh face and flawless features of a twenty something while Lydia found wrinkles starting to form and grey hairs coming in.

"Why do you like him so much? He's crude and rude, totally sleazy." She said, not understanding the young woman. Layla just smiled at her and took a sip of coffee.

"It doesn't bother me that he's so crude, in fact I quite like it. He's abrasive yes, but honest. He knows what he wants and he goes after it. I can't fault him for that." She said honestly. Lydia pursed her lips together and didn't say anything more. It was probably better she not talk about Beetlejuice with Layla, it would only end up in a fight and that's one thing she didn't want.


	18. Ghostly Roommates

Okay so I have a free break at work so I thought I'd post this up.

I am having so much fun with this story it's not even funny. Sure it's a little crude...sleazy...maybe a bit dirty...hey!! It's Beetlejuice remember?! ;)

Anyways last night I decided that I wanted to know really what Layla looked like, so I drew a sketch of what I had in my mind. I thought it turned out really well. I posted it up on Deviant Art. Here's the link

http:// www. deviantart. com / deviation/ 60012577 / (I had to put spaces in between)

Don't judge too harshly I haven't drawn people ever before and I only JUST started drawing in early June. Before that I haven't drawn, seriously since I was 17 years old and that was 7 years ago. Anyway I've got a bunch of other Beetlejuice and Tim Burton stuff on there if you want to check it out. Mostly cartoony stuff, I have yet to find a really good Beetlejuice picture to draw it from the movie. I've got a few things from my other stories, Devil's in the Details and For Our Children.

Okay, well that's what I've got, so yeah...

Read, Enjoy and Review!! Just like always :) Love you all!!

Keegan Eavan (Lacey)

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Sloane walked down the stairs dressed for work. He was surprised to see one of Lydia's children already up and watching cartoons. 

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?" He asked. Riley didn't even turn around, but kept his eyes glued to the television.

"Couldn't sleep so I came down here with Layla and then Mom said I could watch some TV." He said. Sloane just nodded and walked into the kitchen to find Lydia and Layla sitting down and drinking coffee.

"You two look cozy." He said smiling. Layla just looked at him and took a sip of her coffee.

"Sleep well?" She asked him. He glared at her knowing that she'd avoided his room like the plague. While she'd redecorated everything else she'd conveniently left his alone and he was sleeping on some sort of futon that Rowena had bought for guests.

"Perfect, thank you." He said and looked around for the pot of coffee.

"Oh Layla just conjured this up for us, we didn't make a pot." Lydia said. He just nodded his head and took a deep breath, wanting to strangle Layla when she smiled at him, that superior smile that she wore.

"It's fine, I'll just grab a cup of coffee on the way into the city." He said and grabbed his suitcase.

"Bye Sloane." Layla called, smiling. Lydia turned to look at the ghost that was in front of her when Sloane walked out of the door. "What?" She asked when she saw Lydia's look.

"How come you're being so mean to him?"

"Mean? I'm letting him stay here aren't I?" She asked, innocently, blinking her eyes. Lydia didn't buy it for one second, seeing the devilish gleam in her eyes.

"I think that B...J is affecting you too much." She said and took another sip of coffee.

"Really? Because I think he's affecting me just right." She said and her smile deepened. Lydia had to force the gag way before she threw up.

Beetlejuice walked downstairs to find Layla. He didn't want to admit it, but he was excited to show her that he could dress in something other than his black and white suit. He'd tried for a casual look, jeans and a shirt, but he was proud of himself for trying and didn't mind the new look as much as he thought he would. He saw Lydia's kids in front of the television watching cartoons in their wrinkled clothes.

"Uh hi." He stammered, he'd never been that good with kids before. All of them turned to look at him and he felt like an ant under a magnifying glass.

"Hi." They all said and looked him over. Shit, what the hell was he going to say to Lydia's kids?

"Did you sleep well?" He knew it was a lame question, but what else was he going to say?

"I guess I did." Jordan said and Chloe just nodded.

"I didn't, I had bad dreams." Riley said. Beetlejuice looked at the little boy, he had Lydia's hair, deep black and rich brown eyes.

"That sucks, but maybe it's because this house is haunted." He said with a smile. The little boy looked at him like no one else had ever said that before.

"Really?" He asked. Beetlejuice had to smile at the kid.

"Sure, you didn't know?"

"There's no such thing as ghosts." Jordan said and rolled his eyes.

"Who told you that?" He asked, one eyebrow raising up.

"Dad said so."

"That so?"

"Uh huh."

"Do you believe in ghosts?" Chloe asked looking up at him. He smiled down at the little girl, she had her mother's features, but lighter hair and eyes.

"Sure I do, seen too many things not to believe in them." He said and winked at her. She smiled shyly up at him.

"I do too."

"Yeah? Good, it's a good thing to believe in that." He said.

"Why?" Riley asked.

"Cause you never know when you're gonna meet one."

"Meet one? Where would you meet one?" Jordan asked. Beetlejuice looked at the eldest boy who was pretending not to be interested, but he saw the gleam in the kid's eyes.

"Anywhere, you know they can look like regular people? You could have already met one and you wouldn't know it." He said as the kids looked wide eyed at him.

"Really, have you ever met one?" Chloe asked, scooting a little closer to him.

"Sure I have, lots of times, haven't you?" He asked and the little girl shook her head. "Well I bet you'll meet one soon." He said and winked at her. She smiled up at him and got up from the floor, sitting down next to him on the couch.

"What do they look like?" She asked. The boys scooted up to him to listen as well and he had to smile at them. Who would have thought that he'd be sitting here talking about ghosts with Lydia's kids?

"Some of them look as real as you and some of them don't." He said and shrugged. "It all depends on what happens to ya."

"What do you mean?" Jordan asked.

"Well let's say you got attacked by a shark. As a ghost you might have one leg missin'."

"Why?"

"Well that's the way you would die. You don't change that." He said and shrugged.

"Mom says that she believes in ghosts, but Dad just laughed at her." Riley said.

"Yeah? What did she say?" Beetlejuice asked, curious about what Lydia might say.

"That's about it. She just said that she believed in ghosts because she'd seen some before." Jordan shrugged his shoulders. "So how come Mom doesn't like you?" He asked. He didn't want to talk about ghosts anymore.

"How do you even know that your mom know's me?" He asked.

"She's said a few things, especially after she came home mad at Dad." Jordan said.

"What did she say?"

"Lots of things that we can't say?" Chloe said sitting close to him.

"Ahh, cuss words and shit." He asked and their eyes widened as they nodded. "Yeah well I knew your mom when she was younger. We had an agreement of sorts and she backed out."

"What sort of agreement?" Jordan asked.

"You're smart kid, how old are you?"

"Ten, Chloe's eight and Riley's five." Jordan said.

"Well I don't think I should tell ya, your mom will probably get pissed at me." He said easily.

"Please?" They asked together. He laughed at them and looked around his shoulder to see if Lydia was there. When he saw that the coast was clear he leaned in and they leaned in too, so their foreheads were almost touching his.

"Well okay, when your mom was young she was supposed ta marry me." He said. The kids looked at each other and back again.

"Before she met Dad?"

"Way before." He said with a nod.

"Did you love her?" Chloe asked.

"Nah, I mean don't get me wrong, your mom was cute and all, but it was just so I could get out of where I was livin'." He said.

"Where were you living?" Jordan asked.

"A shitty place."

"So she didn't marry you?"

"Nope, or else I woulda been your daddy huh?" He asked them.

"Guess so." Jordan said.

"So are you going to marry Layla?" Riley asked him. Beetlejuice was taken aback by his question. He'd never thought about it, not really anyway. Layla was great, beautiful, smart and a good girl, but marry her?

"Haven't thought about it kid. What do you think?"

"She's pretty."

"You think so?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah." Jordan and Riley said together and Beetlejuice laughed. Chloe gave a sharp look at her brothers, but nodded in agreement.

"You guys really haven't gotten to know her that much yet, but you will." He said easily. Layla was good with kids, they'd like her.

"We talked this morning before anyone was up. She's nice, I like her."

"You know she's lettin' you all stay here?"

"I thought this was the other guy's house, uh, Sloane." Riley said.

"Nah, it's Layla's, but she didn't want to see ya out in the cold."

"Dad kicked us out." Jordan said, his eyes downcast.

"Kinda a shitty thing to do to ya."

"They fought a lot anyway." Chloe said and shrugged, but he heard the pain in her voice.

"Yeah?" He asked and the kids nodded. This was kinda heavy stuff that they'd got into. "Where is your mom anyway? She with Layla?"

"I think so, they might be still in the kitchen." Jordan said.

"Okay, well I'm gonna go say morning to Layla and your mom." He said getting up.

"Will you come and play with us later?" Chloe asked him. He looked down at the little girl and couldn't help but smile.

"Sure, I think I can do that." They nodded and returned to their cartoons. Beetlejuice walked into the kitchen where he saw Layla and Lydia sitting together like they were old buddies. It was a bit disconcerting.

"Hey Babes." He said and had to smile widely when both women turned to look at him, but while Lydia narrowed her eyes, Layla's eyes dilated when she saw him in his jeans and shirt.

"You look great Beej." She said. He'd never looked better and that included the first time in the shower. The jeans and loose button down shirt suited him, especially when the first button was left undone and his long, white blonde hair was combed back down his head.

"Yeah?" He asked, wanting to hear a little more, but all she could do was nod.

"You must be a miracle worker Layla. I never thought I would see the day when he would be clean and wearing different clothes." Lydia said with a good amount of disgust and sarcasm in her voice. He just shrugged at her and sat down next to Layla.

"Apparently I am." She purred and slid her hand over to his thigh underneath the table. He smiled at her and reached out to take her had, lacing his fingers with hers.

"So you gonna tell the kids that we're ghosts?" Beetlejuice asked, conjuring up a cup of coffee for himself. Lydia sat back at the question and narrowed her eyes.

"Why would I do that?"

"Don't you think it's gonna be kinda funny if they want us to go outside and we can't?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. Lydia narrowed her eyes at him and glanced at Layla who was looking at her in question. Lydia had never thought about telling her children that Beetlejuice and Layla were ghosts, but as she thought about it she began to think about the Maitlands. Poor Barbara and Adam, stuck in that house with her father and Delia until they moves out or died, whichever came first.

"How long do you have until you're released from haunting?" Lydia asked.

"Just a few more months, a little over five." Layla said counting off the months on her fingers.

"You're lucky, I know some ghosts that still have over one hundred years to go." She said with a sigh.

"Ah, the Maitlands, you still talk to them?" Beetlejuice asked. Layla looked at him and he leaned over. "Young, dumb couple I had business with one time." He whispered.

"They're not dumb and not really anymore. Not since I moved out of the house. I don't go visiting very often." Lydia said.

"I gathered that when you came here instead of to your parent's house when you got booted. How come you didn't boot his ass out anyway?"

"I'm the housewife, he makes the money and therefore he has the power." Lydia said in a sigh.

"Since when? Listen Lyds, I hate to break it to ya, but most of the time the woman kicks the man out of the house." Beetlejuice said. "If ya want I can go spook him out for ya." He said and winked at her. Lydia glared at him, which caused Layla to giggle.

"I'll be fine." She said stiffly.

"Suit yourself," He said and leaned back in his chair. "But ya know what I'm qualified at."

"What would I have to do? Marry you?" She spat out. His eyes nearly crossed at that thought. Not that he didn't want to get out of where he was, but thinking about marrying Lydia now just seemed kind of wrong. Besides right now, he wasn't in that shithole that he was in, he was with Layla and there was no other place on earth he'd rather be. He frowned at that thought too. What in the hell was happening to him? This chick was spinning his world upside down, but he also didn't want her to stop either.

"Mom, when are we going to have breakfast? I'm hungry." Chloe said walking into the kitchen.

"In just a minute Sweetie, go and get your brothers we have to tell you something." She said in a heavy sigh. She turned to Beetlejuice and Layla and gave them a heavy look. "It's either now or never." She said solemnly.

They watched as the kids filed in, looking down at their shuffling feet. It broke Layla's heart to see them looking so cautious and weary when they walked in.

"Yes Mom? What's happening now?" Jordan asked giving her a brave look. Lydia looked at her children and wanted to cry, it wasn't fair that they were tossed out of their own home, by their own father.

"You know that I believe in ghosts right?" She asked and the children brightened almost immediately.

"Yeah, BJ said that he believes in ghosts too." Chloe said smiling up at him. Lydia turned to look at him, giving him a venom look. Layla just smiled, her eyes twinkled as she looked at him.

"Well there's a very good reason that I and BJ believe in ghosts." She said taking a deep breath.

"Why Mom?" Her children asked looking at her with wide eyes.

"It's because BJ and Layla are ghosts."

"What?" Jordan asked, looking from his mother to Beetlejuice to Layla and back to his mother.

"Are you really a ghost BJ?" Chloe asked reaching out to touch his hand with her fingers.

"The ghost with the most." He said and winked.

"And Layla's a ghost too?" Riley asked looking at Layla.

"Yes I am Riley." She said and smiled at him.

"I don't believe that, you can sit and stand and we can touch you. How are you a ghost?" Jordan said crossing his arms in front of them and staring them down. Beetlejuice rolled his eyes at the kid.

"You think you've seen everything kid? You ain't seen nothin' yet." He said and with a snap of his finger Jordan was lifted off of the ground and into the air. Every ounce of blood drained from his face as he looked down in horror.

"What's happening to me?" He asked in a whisper.

"I just levitated ya. You're fine." Beetlejuice said and brought him back down.

"Beetle...BJ." Lydia said after she got a hard look from Layla. "Don't use my kids as tricks." She spat out. He just shrugged at her and smiled.

"Kid wanted some proof, had to show him." He said.

"What else can you do?" Chloe asked coming around to tug lightly on Layla's sleeve.

"All sorts of things. I decorated your rooms last night and I can change clothes, make food. Pretty much anything I want to do." Layla said and smiled.

"Change clothes?" Chloe asked. "Like what." Layla smiled at the little girl and snapped her own fingers.

"There." She said and smiled. The little girl frowned at her.

"You didn't change." She said. Layla just continued to smile at her and blinked a mirror in front of her.

"No, but you did." She said and showed Chloe a reflection of herself. Instead of the wrinkled dress that she was wearing she now had on a pair of jeans and a black top with lots of little red and pick flowers dotting the fabric.

"Wow." She said and took the mirror looking at herself.

"This is crazy." Jordan said after he got some of his color back.

"Crazy or not kid, this is real life and this is how it works. I'm over six hundred years old and Babes right here," He said putting his arm around Layla protectively. "Is almost one hundred and fifty." He said with thick pride in his voice.

"We live with ghosts?" Riley asked looking at everyone. Lydia just nodded at him, a neutral look on her face while Layla and Beetlejuice smiled slightly. "This is so cool."


	19. 3 B's

Wow, two chapters in one day o.O...must mean something, but damned if I know what. I really should start to condense these chapters or I'm going to end up with 101 chapters by the time I'm done.

Like I've said before, uh, I think in my profile, that I let the stories take me where they want to go. I like where it's going so that's groovy to me. I like these characters, they're fun and I'm having a blast writing it. I had lots of fun with this chapter.

These characters are getting as complicated as my other ones in my other stories. Oy, good or bad, that's the way it goes...

Anyway you all know the shpeel by now, but...Read, Enjoy and Review. I love your reviews! Keeps me going! OOO and if you have any suggestions or ideas I'm always open. I love to hear some fresh ideas from other people because it may be something that I haven't thought of, so don't hesitate.

Mmm, that's about it, so enjoy!

Lacey (That's my name, so I'll use it!)

* * *

Lydia had been up in her room calling all sorts of places trying to get jobs and had asked Layla to watch the kids for her. 

"Sure, Beej and I can keep our eyes on them." She said and smiled. Lydia shifted her stance and leaned in to whisper.

"Just make sure that you keep your eye on him too." She said. Layla nodded and winked at her.

"Don't worry." She said. Lydia nodded and gave a glare to Beetlejuice before she had headed up, he just rolled his eyes when she turned her back to her. She had to find a job as fast as she could. The only problem was that when Jordan was born she had stopped all work to devote her time to her child. She never wanted to be one of those working mothers even though Jonathon wanted her to. She still did her photography and artwork, but only when she had time in between Jordan's soccer practice and Chloe's piano lessons. She really wasn't qualified for much, but something was better than nothing, she had to prove that she could do this on her own. She didn't need Jonathon, no matter what he thought.

She really didn't feel comfortable with Beetlejuice looking over her children, but she did like Layla and she wasn't really sure why. The pretty ghost had booted them all out of the house just the other night, but she was friendly and likeable. She knew that her children liked her and she also knew that she would keep a watch over them. She couldn't really describe it, but she just had a feeling that she had watched over children before, the way she talked to them and listened made her think that there had probably been children in this house before.

She just couldn't understand why Layla would love Beetlejuice, it just didn't make sense to her, not in the least. Maybe it was because he was everything she wasn't, opposites attracted right? She was polite and nice and he was crude and rude. She was pretty and he was, well, after she'd seen him clean and in different clothes she really couldn't say that he was ugly. Not her taste, but still, if she'd never met him before she'd say he was handsome. She sighed and dropped her head to the desk. She must be going crazy from all of this, Beetlejuice handsome? He was over six hundred years old for Christ's sake and she was beginning to have those thoughts? She'd been on the phone all day long calling everyone and every place she could think of. So far she'd had no response and she couldn't help but get down in the mouth about it.

Beetlejuice and Layla had entertained the children the best way they knew how. All they wanted them to do was turn themselves into all sorts of things and lift them up into the air.

"Can't you do it again, please?" Chloe asked pulling on Beetlejuice's sleeve. He didn't really want to admit it, but Lydia's kids were pretty cute and they'd been begging him and Layla to do different things all day long.

"I don't know about that, it's gettin' kinda late." He said.

"Please BJ?" She asked again and he gave into her big light blue eyes. Beetlejuice looked at Layla, who just shrugged.

"Can you turn back into a dog Layla?" Riley asked tugging on the sleeve of her shirt. She smiled down at the boy and morphed herself into a playful dog, jumping around while Beetlejuice lifted Chloe and Jordan up and they laughed as they shot up to the high ceilings and kicked off of the walls doing flips.

"Good God!" Beetlejuice turned to see a red faced Sloane at the front door.

"Warden's back." Beetlejuice mumbled and slowly brought Chloe and Jordan back down to the ground.

"I told you NOT to use your powers." He seethed. Layla had never seen him so angry before and it surprised her. She transformed back into her own body and slowly walked up to him.

"Calm down Sloane, Lydia told them this morning." She said.

"What?"

"I didn't stutter?" She asked coldly.

"How could you? They're just children." He looked at her, stunned. It was unbelievable that they would even consider doing that to them, they were so young and didn't need to know about that side of life.

"It's the coolest thing I've ever seen." Riley said looking up at Sloane, a big smile on his face.

"Yeah, they can do all sorts of neat tricks." Jordan said when he came back down to a safe landing.

"We had to tell them sooner or later Sloane. They would have found out soon enough, they're smart kids." Layla said calmly.

"What's going on?" Lydia asked looking down the railing.

"He had your daughter and son up in the air and twirling." Sloane yelled looking up at Lydia.

"What?" She asked and bolted down the stairs. "How could you do that?" She asked poking him in the chest.

"Ouch that hurts. You need to calm down Lyds, I was in control the whole time." He said.

"I don't give a rat's ass if you thought you were in control Beetlejuice and don't you dare tell me to calm down." She spat out.

"Lyds." He cautioned, wincing when he heard his own name.

"Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice." She called again and he was gone.

"What happened?" Riley asked looking around to see where Beetlejuice had gone to.

"Go to your rooms, all of you." Lydia said turning to her children and pointing to the stairs. She waited until all three of her children were up the stairs, Sloane following them. They all walked as slow as they could, but seeing their mother's eyes narrowed at them they continued up, Sloane's hand on Jordan's back, pushing them all up. Layla waited, furious with Lydia, but she didn't want to start something in front of the kids, they didn't need to hear it. They both waited until they heard all the doors close.

"Don't' you dare do that again." Layla seethed stepping up to Lydia. She was a few inches taller than her was and she used it, getting on her tip toes to look down at her. "Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice." She called and he appeared again.

"I'll do it if I want to. Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice." She said and he disappeared again.

"The hell you will, this is my house remember? Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice Beetlejuice." She called and he arrived again.

"I don't care if you think it's your house, you can be exorcized you know." Lydia screamed. "If he does that again I'll make sure it happens. BEETLEJUICE, BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE!" And before he could speak he was gone again.

"You just try it Sweetheart and see how far it gets you." Layla screamed at her, they were two inches from each other. "BEETLEJUICE, BEETLEJUICE, BEETLEJUICE!" She called again and he appeared.

"GOD DAMMIT KNOCK THAT SHIT OFF!" Beetlejuice screamed. Lydia and Layla turned their heads at the same time to look at him. "That's giving me one hell of a headache." He said and stormed off. They both watched him as he stomped up the stairs and slam the door of the bedroom. Layla couldn't help it, she bursted out laughing. Lydia watched her for a few seconds before she quickly followed with a large burst of laughter. She couldn't remember the last time she'd laughed at something, really laughed and now she just couldn't help herself.

"Oh, poor Beej." Layla said and looked at the empty stairs.

"Yeah poor my ass, he deserved it." Lydia said, wiping a tear away. Layla looked at her through the corner of her eye, but didn't say anything. She actually was starting to like the woman and her children were adorable.

"You know that I would never let anything happen to them and if you would get past your grudge against him, you'd see that he wouldn't either. He might be a sleaze for most of the time, but he does have a soft underbelly. He just doesn't like to show it." Layla said, a soft smile on her face. Lydia just shook her head at the young ghost in front of her.

"You're in love with him, of course you'd say that." She said.

"Yes I am, but he doesn't know it and I'd rather he not know about it."

"Why?"

"I don't want him to feel guilty if he doesn't love me back. Right now I'm having more fun than I'd ever had in my entire life and afterlife. I don't want it to end and if I get my heart broken I know that it would, because I wouldn't be able to face him anymore." She said, playfulness gone and replaced by a seriousness that made Lydia raise an eyebrow. She just nodded and understood what Layla meant, rejection was a killer. "I better go see if his headache is gone." Layla said and smiled again, a brief smile that, if Lydia wasn't mistaken, had a hint of sadness in it.

"Yeah, I'll go upstairs and talk to Sloane. He has no idea what's going on, really and should probably be given some sort of update." Lydia said. They walked up the stairs together and Layla walked into the master bedroom.

Beetlejuice was laying on the bed, his arm flung over his eyes. Layla walked over and gently laid down on the bed.

"Feeling any better?" She asked. He lifted his arm just high enough to see her.

"Fuck no, do you have any idea what doing that can do to your fuckin' head?" He asked and replaced his arm over his face.

"No I don't and I'm sorry for it. She was angry and I was too." Layla said and gently placed her hand on his leg.

"You two do that again and I'll rip you both into shreds."

"Would you really?" She asked, moving her hand up his leg to rest on his thigh. He took his arm off his eyes again to look at her. The minx had the nerve to have a smile on her face.

"You're a tease."

"And you love every second of it." She said and moved to where she sat down on him, her hair falling down around her face. He smiled at her and placed his hands on her small waist. "Do you want me to kiss it and make it better?" She asked and didn't wait for a reply. She leaned down and gently gave him a kiss on his forehead and lifted herself back up. "Does that help?"

"Nope, not better yet Babes, gotta try harder than that." He said. She laughed and kissed him on the mouth. He deepened it, slowly sliding his tongue in to taste her. She slowly pulled away from him and looked down.

"How about that?" She asked her eye brow raised.

"Well, it still hurts a little." He said and she sighed.

"Well I guess nothing will help then." She said in a sigh and started to get off him. "I guess I better go back downstairs until you feel better." He grabbed her and hauled her back down to him, flipping her on her back, holding her there until she giggled.

"You really are a tease." He said.

"You really are incorrigible." She said. He laughed and leaned down to kiss her.

* * *

"Try to understand this Sloane," Lydia said pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Understand what?" He said.

"You're pouting and you know it. Lydia and BJ made a good point. The kids would have found out eventually and with us telling them up front they seem okay with it. Actually, I think they like it a lot." She said.

"Of course, why not?" He said. Lydia rolled her eyes and got up from the futon that she was sitting on.

"Look, we're stuck with them whether you like it or not. I'm grateful that you and Layla agreed to let us stay here and yeah, I am angry that he was being reckless with my children, but as long as long as Layla is with him I don't have much of a choice. She won't make him go away because she's in love with him. All I can do is make sure that they are safe and happy. They just got put through the ringer having their father basically tell them that he never loved them and doesn't want anything to do with them and as if that wasn't bad enough he tosses them all out without a second glance. Right now I have to get a job so I can afford to get my own place so my children can start a fresh life and get away from all the bitterness." Lydia said and started to walk out of the room.

"What can you do?" Sloane asked.

"Excuse me?"

"Can you answer phones and file data?" He asked and Lydia raised her eyebrow.

"I'm sure I could do that."

"Well my secretary told me two months ago that she needed to leave. Something about family. I'm not really sure, I wasn't paying much attention, but I do need someone to replace her and I haven't had a chance to call the temp agency." He said.

"Let me get this straight. You are offering me a job?" Lydia asked.

"I guess, I need a secretary and you need a job. Seems to work out." He said and shrugged. Lydia sighed and shook her head. She never thought she would be reduced to being a secretary, but if she had to she would. At least she would have something, even if it was just temporary it would suffice until she could find something better.

"When do I start?"


	20. Uncle Beej

Thanks you guys for all the reviews! I love them tons and I love you tons and tons for giving them to me. Gives me great ego boosts, but you already know that ;)

Okay so I have to share this, just cause I think it's so funny. I work at a Boys and Girls club, I'm the art coordinator and tonight was the staff party. They held it at Chuck E. Cheese. o.O Can you believe it? I work with kids ALL DAY LONG and they hold a party in a place designed FOR kids!!!! I'm 24 years old, the last time I went to a place like that I was like 10. Anyway, I grumbled, well everyone did, but I had a blast. It was a huge kick and too much fun playing games and getting tickets. Anyway just thought I'd mention that ;) Don't know why really, but oh well.

So, I just finished and it's almost midnight and I have to get up in six hours to go to work, oy. So I had some fun with this. Some of it's sad, some of it's funny, but it's all good :D

So Read, Enjoy and Reivew, just like always...I sound like a broken record...I need to go to bed...night!

Lace

* * *

"So how do I look?" Lydia asked turning to Layla who was sitting on Lydia's bed. She was dressed in a pair of her nicest pants and a blouse for her first day of work and she was so nervous it took everything not to let her knees start knocking together.

"Do you want the truth or do you want me to lie?" Layla asked.

"Oh God, it's that bad?" Lydia asked turning to look in the mirror. Layla giggled at her and hopped off the bed.

"Yeah, but it's an easy fix." She said and blinked. Lydia watched as her navy blue, tapered leg trousers turned into a pair of soft grey wide legged trousers and her cream blouse turned into a rich eggplant silk. Layla also put make up on her that hinted at the tones she was wearing and a pair of black heels. "Much better." She said nodding.

"Wow, that's the best trick I've seen yet." Lydia said turning to see every angle in the mirror.

"You don't want to look like the housewife going back into work for the first time in ten years do you?" She asked and Lydia just shook her head. "Good, well I bet that Sloane is downstairs waiting for you to head into the office."

"I guess this is it, not what I would have wanted, but it will have to work." Lydia said and sighed as she walked out the door.

"It's something and that's better than nothing." Layla said. "We'll make sure that the kids stay out of trouble."

"Just make sure that BJ stays out of trouble too." Lydia said over her shoulder as she walked down the stairs making Layla laugh. She couldn't help but hold her breath when she came up to Sloane, ready to head into the office.

"You look great, nobody will know that you haven't been working for a decade." He said looking her up and down. Lydia wasn't quite sure if that was meant to be a compliment or not, but she blushed anyway.

"Thanks, Layla did it for me."

"She does have a good eye, but don't tell her I said that." He said and winked at Lydia making her giggle, which relaxed her a little.

"She doesn't have to." Layla said leaning against the archway in the kitchen, a cup of coffee in her hand and a large smile on her face. He groaned and headed for the door, car keys in hand. "Sloane." She called out making him pause as Lydia walked out to get into his car.

"Yeah?" He asked raising an eyebrow. Layla walked up to him and poofed two cups of coffee in traveling mugs and handed them to him. "What's this for?" He asked looking at the cups like they were poisoned.

"For giving Lydia a job. She needs it right now and even though it's not the best, it's something." She said. He took the two mugs from her and gave her a small smile.

"Thanks, so you gonna start being nice to me?" She rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"I do one nice thing for you and you think I'm going to make it a habit?" She asked making him laugh.

"I'll try not to become accustomed to it."

"You better not because then I'll have to just put you back into your place." He nodded a smile still on his face and walked out the door.

Beetlejuice was curled up half asleep, but half awake when the door opened and all three of the kids bounced in and jumped on the bed.

"What the hell?" He asked as Chloe landed straight on his chest.

"Can we go up in the air some more today?" She asked looking at him. He groaned and threw the pillow over his eyes.

"Why are you all up so early?" He mumbled from behind the pillow.

"We always get up this early." Riley said and tugged on the blankets. "Please can we?"

"Hey, watch the covers bud, I'm kinda skimping on clothes here." He said and tugged the blankets back up to cover his bare shoulders.

"Come on BJ, it's so late, get up." Jordan said and took the pillow away from him.

"LAYLA!" He yelled and grabbed the pillow again. Layla walked up the stairs and looked through the open door and had to slap her hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. "It's not funny Babes, get them outta here." He said as all three of the kids kept tugging on him.

"Okay, why don't you guys go downstairs and watch a little television while BJ wakes up." Layla said, a wide smile still on her face.

"Aw, we want to go in the air again." Riley said and stuck his lip out.

"Maybe later on, but right now you'll be thrown against the wall if BJ gets his way." She said. They just laughed at her and walked out of the room.

"Hurry up BJ, we want to have some fun." Chloe said before she walked out. He groaned and threw himself against the bed. Layla waited until all of them left and she closed the door before she burst into laughter, having to hold her stomach. Beetlejuice got up and threw a pillow at her, but she just dodged it and kept laughing.

"It's not funny Babes, I was sitting here in nothing but, well, nothing and they can in tugging on the covers and all sorts of shit." He said.

"I'm sorry Beej, but that's what kids do." She said and walked down to sit on the bed next to him.

"They ain't my kids." He said, a frown on his face.

"No, but that doesn't mean that they don't like you. They actually quite like you which is rather amusing." She said. He looked at her and pouted, crossing his arms in front of his bare chest.

"Why?" He whined. She rolled her eyes and got back up walking to the door.

"Quit being a baby, you like them too, I can tell." She said and closed the door behind her.

"I do not!" He called.

"Yes you do, get dressed." She called back and walked down the stairs.

Layla walked into the living room and looked at the three minions. They had not one whit of guilt for waking Beetlejuice up.

"Is he getting ready?" Riley asked turning to look at her.

"Yes, he's getting ready, but we've got to get a few things straight first."

"What?" They whined at her.

"First things first, we can't just go around playing all day long. Sooner or later you three are going to have to go back to school and when you do you can't tell anyone that Beej and I are ghosts?"

"Why not?" Jordan asked.

"If people find out we are ghosts then who knows what could happen so it's better that no one know except for us." She said and they nodded.

"The next thing is that we can't keep tossing you up in the air, your mother will have our heads." She said and they moaned. "I don't wanna hear it, so go in the kitchen and I'll get you some breakfast before the grump comes down." She said.

"Is he mad?" Chloe asked looking at Layla as they walked into the kitchen.

"No, a little shocked, but not mad." She said smiling at the little girl. "So, what do you want for breakfast?"

"Ice cream." Jordan said a big smile on his face.

"Yeah right." Layla said and rolled her eyes. She snapped her fingers and fresh fruit and cereal appeared.

"Uh, that's not ice cream." Riley said looking at his bowl.

"Uh, you're right, it's not. It's called breakfast so eat." She said and grabbed an apple for herself. Beetlejuice walked in and looked at the food that Layla had conjured up.

"What the hell is that?" He asked.

"Food." Layla said taking a huge bite out of her apple. "Grab some."

"Yeah right Babes, I don't think so." He said and snapped himself a donut, walking back out.

"How come he can have a donut?" Jordan whined.

"Can you snap your fingers and make food appear?" Layla asked.

"No."

"Then you'll eat what I give you. Beej can snap and make food appear so he can eat what he wants." Layla said. They looked down at their food and made faces, but gave in to her and ate. Layla walked into the living room and sat down next to Beetlejuice, crossing her legs.

"You just had to do that huh?" She asked turning to him.

"Wha?" He asked, his mouth full of fried dough.

"Make a donut right in front of the kids. Of course they'd want that after they see you eat it." She said, not really angry, but wanting to make a point.

"Ah come on Babes, it's not gonna kill em' to eat a donut once in a while." He said finishing his bite and chomping down on another.

"No, probably not, but I know that Lydia would kill me if I fed them that garbage." She said. He just rolled his eyes at her and finished eating and watched the television.

"You think too much Babes." He said, not looking at her. She rolled her eyes and finished her own apple and tossing the core at him. "Hey, watch that healthy stuff." He said and tossed the apple core back. She just smiled at him and shook her head.

"Can we go up in the air now?" Riley asked coming to a sudden halt right in front of Layla with Chloe and Jordan bringing up the rear.

"You all never stop do you?" She asked putting her hands on her hips. They smiled at her and shook her head.

"Please Aunt Layla?" Chloe asked.

"Where on earth did that come from?" She asked taken aback. The little girl just shrugged and smiled at her. "Oh, you don't play fair." She said and stomped her foot playfully. They knew they had won when she did that and smiled superior smiles. She sighed and looked over her shoulder at Beetlejuice, raising an eyebrow.

"Up to you Babes." He said.

"Thanks a lot _Uncle _Beej." She said.

"Hey yeah, I like that." Jordan said and smiled.

"Thanks a lot Babes." He said and rolled his eyes.

"You deserved it." She said.

"All right you minions, up in the air." He said and pointed his finger at them. They giggled as they rose up in the air.

"Now that you're up there what are you going to do?" Layla called.

"Why don't you two join us?" Jordan called. Layla looked at Beetlejuice and smiled.

"What?" He asked and she raised her eyebrow. "Oh no you don't Babes, don't even think about it." He said and a second later he was rising right along with her. "Dammit Babes, this shit ain't funny." He said kicking his feet, but she just laughed at him and reached out to grasp his hand.

"All right, so now we're all up here, so what do we do?" She asked, floating around them.

"Do you guys know ring around the rosie?" Chloe asked. Layla nodded and Beetlejuice was solemn giving just a hint of a nod. He kept hold of Layla's hand and she grasped Jordan's while Beetlejuice grabbed Chloe's as she began to sing.

"Ring around the rosie, pocket's full of posies." She sang as they started to spin around. "Ashes, ashes we all fall down." She sang and they all pretended to fall, doing flips at the last second. Layla came up giggling with the kids until she saw Beetlejuice's face that made her frown.

"Okay, lets do something else." She said.

"Like what?" Chloe asked, but Layla shrugged.

"Hey I know. Let's play hide and go seek." Riley said.

"Oh, can we?" Chloe asked turning to Beetlejuice.

"Sure Kiddo." He said and smiled softly at the little girl.

"Okay, Jordan's it." She called.

"Why?" He whined.

"You're wasting your counting." Riley said and floated away.

"Hey! Fine, one, two three..." He called putting his hands over his eyes.

"Come on." Layla said tugging Beetlejuice away. They floated up to the second floor and hid in the alcove.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"Nothin' Babes." He said.

"Liar, you got all down in the mouth when we were singing that nursery rhyme." She said.

"Eh, it's nothin'." He said, but saw her face. She looked concerned and it moved him.

"All right Babes, I give. That rhyme always reminds me of when I was livin'. The plague and shit." He said and shrugged.

"What happened when you were alive?" She asked. He opened up his mouth, but Jordan popped in the alcove and smiled.

"Found ya." He said and smiled.

"You sure did kid." Beetlejuice said and smiled. Layla looked at him, but he gave her a look that told her that he'd tell her later. "Come on, let's do somethin' else." He said and they floated back down.

Lydia walked in to see her children laying on the floor with Layla and Beetlejuice along side them playing a game of cards. She smiled at the little scene, she had to admit that it was cute seeing Layla laying on her stomach, her feet up in the air, crossed at the ankles holding a hand of cards with Beetlejuice right beside her laying on his stomach wearing a pair of jeans again. She looked at his ass for a brief second before she even realized it, then was horrified that she'd done it and wanted to shoot herself. She shook her head and closed her eyes tight.

"How was your day?" Layla asked turning when she heard Lydia.

"Huh? Oh, fine." She mumbled. Sloane walked in a few seconds later, a smile on his face. "Everything go well?" Layla asked him.

"Perfect, Lydia's been the best secretary I've had in a long time and it was only her first day." He said.

"Well that's good. Way to go Lyds, you're a great secretary." Beetlejuice said.

"Yeah. So how was your day?" She asked her children.

"We had a great time with Aunt Layla and Uncle Beej." Riley said. Lydia looked at Layla, an eyebrow raised.

"They came up with it this morning." Layla said shrugging her shoulders.

"I see, well good, I'm glad you had a good day. I'm going upstairs to get into something more comfortable." Lydia said and walked up the stairs. Sloane sat down on the couch and stretched out his legs.

"What are you playing?" He asked Jordan.

"Poker, Uncle Beej is showing us how." He said smiling.

"Yeah? I'm pretty good, mind if I play?" He asked. Jordan just shrugged and Sloane got down to play with the kids.

"I'm going to see how Lydia's doing." Layla said and left them to play another hand.

"Want to make it interesting?" Beetlejuice asked shuffling the cards.

"Like how?" Sloane asked. Jordan, Chloe and Riley looked from Beetlejuice to Sloane and back again.

"What do ya got?"

"A pulse." Sloane shot and the kids giggled.

"Smart ass, how 'bout cash?"

"You use cash?"

"Duh, I take back my smart ass remark." Beetlejuice said and the kids giggled again.

"Fine, that works for me." He said and took off his blazer getting comfortable.

Layla knocked on the door of Lydia's room and waited.

"Come in." Lydia called from the other side of the door. Layla walked in to see Lydia already changed into a pair of sweat pants and a tee shirt.

"So how was your day really?" She asked and flopped on the bed. Lydia sighed and rubbed her eyes.

"It wasn't bad, really, but I don't know how long I can do this." Lydia said.

"What happened?"

"It's just paper work and filing, all sorts of things like that. It's just not me. I'm an artist and artists can't live in places like that." She groaned.

"I see, well it's only temporary." Layla said.

"I know, I know it, but still I mean it's my first day and I already feel stifled." She said getting up off Lydia's bed.

"Geez Lyds, you've got to chill out. Why don't you relax up here and take a nap or something." Layla said. Lydia just nodded and let Layla steer her to her bed.

"Okay, that sounds like a good idea." She said and laid down. It wasn't a full minute before she had fallen asleep, curled up on her side.

Layla walked back down the stairs to see Beetlejuice fuming and the children laughing wildly.

"What going on here?" Layla asked. Sloane just smiled and got up off of the floor and counting loose bills.

"Oh, nothing, just played a few hands." He said and walked out whistling.

"That no good son of a..."

"Beej." Layla warned. Beetlejuice just looked at her and grumbled. Layla just laughed and took the children in to get them some dinner.

Layla closed her eyes and let the hot water warm her cool body, the frothy white bubbles covering her up to her neck.

"Sexy Babes. Did I tell ya that you make me boil?" Beetlejuice asked walked into the bathroom. She opened up one eye and smiled.

"Nope, I don't think so, but I wouldn't doubt it. So you gonna tell me why you got so upset this afternoon?" She asked. He looked at her and sighed.

"Really Babes? You wanna know?" He asked her. She just lifted one of her legs out of the water and he watched her leg, dripping with hot water and bubbles as she drapped it over the side. "Not fair Babes."

"Tell me." She said.

"Only if I can get in too."

"Not a chance, not until you tell me."

"Why?"

"Because you know that I'll get distracted and right now, I just want you distracted." She said and smiled at him.

"Have I told you that you're a tease?"

"I think you've mentioned it before." She said and looked at him through her lashes. He sighed and sat down on the toilet.

"Fine, all right. I said that it reminded me of the plague, that rhyme."

"Yes, so what happened?"

"I was a drifter, moved around from place to place, never stayin' long. That's probably why I never caught it. We never stayed long enough to have it go through our camp."

"So you were a gypsy?"

"In a matter of speaking yeah. Born on the road and lived on the road. My parents were entertainers. My father played music while my mother danced. I learned to play the lute and played along. I was the odd one out, because gypsies are normal dark hair dark skin, but I was pale and fair haired, just like my father. My mother was dark hair and olive toned and so were all of my brothers."

"So what happened?"

"The plague killed a lot of people and quick. I had gone with my father to set up a camp while the rest of the band went into a small town to get supplies. Town people hated people like us, scared of us because they thought we carried around the plague."

"Something bad happened didn't it?" Layla asked.

"Yeah, somethin' bad. The band didn't return, ever. We walked into the village and found out that they'd given them tainted food at the tavern and they'd contracted the plague. Including my mother and brothers. They didn't want to return to where we were so they walked out away from everyone else to die." It was hard to tell anyone this, but it felt better to get it off of his chest.

"That's horrible Beej." Layla said and reached out her soapy hand. He took it without thinking and rubbed her hand with his, feeling her skin heated from the water.

"Eh, it's all old shit Babes." He said and shrugged at her. She smiled at him and pulled him a little with her slippery hand.

"Still wanna come in? Plenty of room." She said. He laughed at her and plunged in, clothes and all and pulled her to him.

"Don't need to ask me twice." He said and kissed her. She laughed at him and helped him out of his sopping clothes.


	21. Jealousy

Sorry that it's taken me longer than it usually does to update, but like I said, I'm trying to make the chapters longer to keep from having like 100 chapters by the time I'm done with the story. So, that's what I've been doing, along with starting my new story which is taking some time as well. Not to mention that tonight was the release of Harry Potter, so it goes without saying that I had to stay up to get my book. I'm actually surprised that I was able to post this tonight since I had a long day at work too, but miracles upon miracles I was able to get into a groove and type it up.

Sidenote to Psychotic FluffBunny: I don't know if you got my email or not, but I tried looking up the DA thing, but couldn't find it. So don't think that I was snubbing you because I wasn't. :) Forgive a crazy woman for being scatterbrained.

Hope you enjoy this chapter. I think it's pretty cute ;) Let me know what you think!

R. E. R. I get tired to spelling it all out, besides you all know it by now. Plus the fact that I love ya all, but I think that should be spelled out ;)

Lace

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Layla looked at herself in the mirror. She tried not to, but ever since Beetlejuice made it to where she could see herself, she just couldn't help it. Her hair was still wet, slick and combed down to her mid back. When it was wet it was almost black, just the slightest hint of red coursing through. Her skin was fresh and clean, completely void of any makeup that she usually wore. She had slipped on a deep navy blue silk night gown. She felt like being pretty tonight and grabbed a bottle of lotion, just because she was dead didn't mean that she had to feel dead. In fact ever since Beetlejuice arrived she felt more alive than she had when she was alive. Beetlejuice was still in the bathroom relaxing in the hot water. Who would have thought that he would actually start to like the feel of clean skin and hair? Layla shook her head and smiled to herself, it was really amazing. 

Beetlejuice walked into the bedroom and saw Layla looking in the mirror. She hadn't seen him quite yet, she was rubbing some lotion on her skin. She looked so incredible sitting there in the nightgown that he knew it was going to come off at any moment. They hadn't made love in the bathtub, although the thought had crossed his mind a few times. He just laid against her and allowed her to massage his head and scrub his back while he relaxed in the hot water. He was beginning to think that he wouldn't be able to live without her and the thought both scared him to his toes and warmed him in a way he thought he couldn't have been warmed before. He'd never been the type to fall in love at the drop of a hat. In fact he'd never said that he'd loved anyone in his entire life, but looking at her, maybe he could. He walked up behind her and she saw him, smiling in the mirror watching his reflection come towards her, a towel slung low on his hips.

"Hey Babes." He said and started to rub her shoulders. She arched her back at the feeling and stretched.

"Hey Beej." She said and closed her eyes.

"You look good."

"Mmm, so do you." She said moving so he could rub a different spot.

"How can you tell Babes? You're not even lookin'." He said and smiled at her, he watched her smile back.

"I don't have to."

"You kill me Babes." He said and stopped rubbing.

"Aw, it's over already?" She whined opening her eyes. He laughed at her and held out his hand to pull her up from her chair and into his arms. She put her arms around his neck and smiled up at him.

"You might be able to persuade me to keep goin'." He said. She laughed at him and laid her head down on his chest. She heard no heartbeat, but it didn't bother her, it never bothered her. He just rubbed her back, making his way down to cup her rear. "Wanna try somethin' new?" He asked. That made her raise her head to look at him and blink.

"Like what?" She asked. He just smiled at her and spun her around and put her arms up around his neck again, pressing her back against his front.

"Hmm, this is new." She said and laid her head on his shoulder. He smiled down at her and slid his hand underneath her nightgown to cup her breast with one hand while the other slinked down to gradually start lifting up the skirt to reach her skin. Layla let a small moan escape her mouth and kept her arms around his neck, craning her neck to kiss is mouth.

"Aunt Layla?" Chloe asked, knocking lightly on the door. Beetlejuice froze, one hand on her breast, the other at her mid thigh.

"Don't answer it Babes, maybe she'll go away." Beetlejuice whispered.

"I have to, she sounds like she's scared." Layla said.

"Babes, come on." He said, nearly desperate and begging her. He reached a little higher and she quivered, she was lost for two seconds before she heard a light knock on the door again.

"Aunt Layla, Uncle BJ, are you in there?" She asked a real fear in her voice. Layla turned

"Yes Chloe?" Layla asked and felt Beetlejuice spin her around so she was in front of the door since he was still in just a towel. Chloe gently opened up the door and looked at them.

"Did I disturb you? I'm sorry." The little girl said looking at them.

"No, of course you didn't Chloe. What's the matter?" Layla asked bending down to the little girl's level while she bent her hand to zap a bathrobe for Beetlejuice.

"I had a bad dream and Mom wasn't answering her door." Chloe said and her face twisted up as she started to cry.

"Oh, don't worry Chloe." Layla said and scooped the girl up in her arms. Chloe wrapped her arms around Layla and she took her to the chaise lounge near the fireplace. "What happened?" She asked. Beetlejuice finished belting the robe over his towel and walked over to stand behind Chloe.

"What's the matter kid?" He asked her.

"I had a dream about the night my mom and dad were fighting." She said and put her head down, rubbing her eyes. "It was so scary, my mom was screaming at my dad and was screaming too. Me and my brothers were sitting on the stairs listening and he said that he never loved us and he wanted us all to just go away." Chloe said. Layla's heart went out to the little girl. No one should ever have to hear that from someone that they loved. She pulled Chloe to her and just held the little girl.

"Sometimes, when grown ups are very mad, they say things that they don't mean." She said.

"He meant it."

"Hey kiddo, you don't know that. I'm sure it was just the heat of the moment thing." Beetlejuice said, not really sure what to really say.

"Then why did he kick us out?" Chloe said not looking at either of them, just resting her head on Layla's cool shoulder. Layla looked at Beetlejuice, but neither of them had an answer that would comfort the girl. "Can I sleep with you tonight?"

"Wouldn't you rather sleep with your mother?" Layla asked.

"No, she needs to sleep. I tried her door once, but she didn't answer. I don't want to wake her up. Please?" Chloe asked pulling back to look at Layla. Layla's eyes flickered to Beetlejuice who shook his head to try and get her to say no.

"Sure you can Chloe." She said and smiled at the little girl. Beetlejuice felt his whole night go right down the drain. Not that it was the kid's fault, but still. If she hadn't had a bad dream, then he would have been exploring Layla right now, not wrapped up in a bathrobe for modesty's sake.

"Right, well why don't you two sleep in here and I'll just crash on the couch." He offered. The last thing he wanted to do was be in the same room with Layla with one of Lydia's kids in between.

"You sure?" Layla asked, but Beetlejuice just nodded and headed out the door, running his hand through his drying hair. He walked down the stairs and saw Sloane sitting on the couch watching some television.

"Oh hell, I can't win for losing." Beetlejuice spat out as he walked into the living room. Sloane turned around and smirked at Beetlejuice.

"Care to lose a little more money? I can always use a new pair of shoes." Sloane said.

"Fuck off." He said and sank down in the chair.

"Why so testy?" Sloane asked, loving every minute that Beetlejuice sulked.

"Like you could give a flying fuck." He grumbled.

"My, my you really should knock off the cussing with kids in the house." Sloane said wagging his finger at Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice sat up and looked around.

"Do you see any goddamned kids around this fuckin' place right now Asshole?" He asked getting more angrier by the minute.

"All right, give it a rest. What the hell is your problem anyway?" Sloane asked.

"Oh, one of Lyd's kids came in and now she gets to be sleepin' with Layla instead of me." He spat out.

"Why didn't she just go to her mother's room?"

"Beats the shit outta me, but she came in right when I was about to do some fresh moves on Layla." He said and enjoyed the disgusted look on Sloane's face.

"Why did I have to know that?" He asked and rubbed his temples.

"Cause if I can't get some tonight, I might as well torture you with all the details." Beetlejuice said and smiled. Sloane's disgusted face went away when he imagined the pretty ghost naked and couldn't help but get a little turned on by it. Beetlejuice saw Sloane's face change and knew that he was thinking about Layla. He got a fresh surge of pure rage that coursed through him thinking that someone else, especially a male someone, especially a Sloane male someone was thinking about his woman naked. The thought paused him for a moment. His woman? When did that happen? He shook his head so hard he gave himself a headache.

"What in the world is the matter with you?" Sloane asked. He knew that Beetlejuice was weird, but he was acting so much more, well, strangely.

"Nothin'. Forget about it." He said and snapped himself a beer, drinking it in huge gulps and snapping himself another.

"Better slow down on that stuff, you could,"

"Could what?" Beetlejuice said and belched loudly. "Kill my liver? Yeah that excuse kinda stops workin' when you, ya know, die." He said and finished it off the bottle. Sloane just shook his head and got up from the couch.

"You're crazy you know that?" He asked looking at the ghost who looked like he was in some sort of confusion that Sloane couldn't even begin to figure out.

"Tell me somethin' I don't already know Asshole." He mumbled and laid his head back closing his eyes. Right now he could envision Layla sleeping soundly with Chloe snuggled against her. He wanted to be there, but he figured it was probably better if he stayed out in the living room for the night. He didn't want to have Layla right there with a child in between and he didn't want to have Lydia find out that he'd been in the same bed with her daughter. She might jump to the wrong conclusion, hell, he knew she'd jump to the wrong conclusion just because she couldn't stand him.

He really couldn't give a shit if she hated him or not, but Layla had been right that morning, he did like her kids and they didn't deserve to be tossed around from place to place getting unsettled. They'd just been here for a little while, but they'd already seemed to be adjusted well enough. Maybe Lyd's would chill out and stick around for a little bit and let the kids get back to a semi normal life.

Lydia couldn't believe that she had slept the entire evening and night away. She felt horrible that she hadn't even spent a whole five minutes with her children before heading up the stairs and taking a nap, ending up crashing for the night. She got up and stretched, pulling on her bathrobe and heading downstairs. She paused when she saw Beetlejuice sleeping on the couch, his mouth wide open and snoring. She raised an eyebrow, this was curious Beetlejuice always slept with Layla. As far as she knew and from what Sloane had told her he rarely ever left her side. She didn't know if it was because he just didn't want to be sent back or because he actually had feelings for her, but either way he was always there. Now he was sleeping on the couch? She wondered where Layla was and what happened while she was asleep.

"Sleep well?" She called out loud enough to wake him up. She got satisfaction out of watching him jump awake and look around and narrow his eyes at her.

"Just like a baby on a sofa." He spat out at her. She smiled and saw his old self emerging when he wasn't around Layla. Lydia had figured that she was the one that was grounding him. She wondered if that power Layla seemed to have over him was wearing off or if he was simply in a bad mood.

"Cranky are we? Did your girlfriend kick you out of the room last night? Show a little too much of your true colors to her?" She asked in that patronizing tone that made him boil and it was too way too early to be pissed off.

"No, she didn't. I decided to come down here after your daughter decided she wanted to sleep with Layla." He spat out. Lydia had to take a step back at that statement. Her daughter chose to go to Layla instead of her? That couldn't be right, could it?

"Chloe wanted to sleep with Layla?" Lydia asked not really grasping what he was saying. He pulled out his ever present pack of cigarettes and lit one up taking a deep drag before he answered her.

"Apparently because she knocked on our door instead of yours, just when, well ya know." He said and winked at her. She wrinkled her nose in disgust and huffed.

"Like I needed to know that." She said. He just laughed at her and snapped a couple cups of coffee in front of himself.

"You're just too easy Lyds." He said shaking his head, smoke blowing out of his nose. She looked at the cup of steaming coffee and wanted it, but didn't want him to know that she did. "Go ahead and take the damn cup of coffee Lyds, it's only cooling sitting here." He said reading her mind. She frowned, but took the cup anyway, sitting far away from him.

"Thank you." She said and took a sip. "Why didn't Chloe just come and see me?" She wondered out loud.

"Don't worry about it too much Lyds. She knocked on our door after she tried yours. She said that you weren't answering and she didn't want to bother ya too much. She's a good kid, all of em' are." He said. She smiled at that. She did have good children, great children and she wished that she could do more for them. "You shouldn't think about uprooting them too soon though." He said.

"Why is that? We need to get a place of our own." She said and took another sip of coffee. It was good, she'd give him that.

"I think it's doin' them some good bein' around Layla. Besides I think she likes the company, but she won't admit to that. She'd rather you think that she's suffering you here." He said and shrugged, crushing his cigarette in the ashtray. Lydia didn't say anything, just thought about what he'd said. She knew that she wouldn't be able to move out very soon, but she'd seen improvement in her children already and they'd only been there for just a short time. They did have to go back to school, she'd have to ask Sloane for the morning to get that done since neither Beetlejuice or Layla could leave the house. She sighed and took another sip of coffee, she hated having to start her children in a school that they might or might not stay in, but she really didn't see any other choice.

Layla woke up before she opened her eyes. When she did she couldn't help but be a little disappointed. She was so used to having Beetlejuice there when she woke up that she frowned a bit and remembered what happened the night before. Chloe was sweet, but it wasn't the same and would never be the same as waking up next to that horny goat that she loved. She loved it when she woke up before he did and she was able to study his sleeping face without him knowing it. He always looked so peaceful and calm, gentle when he slept. When he was awake it was an entirely different story and she loved that part of him too. He was dynamite, so much energy contained in himself even if he was a little lazy, okay, a lot lazy. He had a charisma about him that just naturally attracted her and she doubted that it would have been the same with anyone else.

She wondered if some small part of her was waiting for him when she was alive. Some part that was forbidden to her that only he was able to release. She smiled at that thought and knew that it was true. She knew that she had waited for him and only him and she had just realized it now. She doubted if it would have mattered if she had grown up with a different life, warm and loving. She still would have waited for him, no one else, just him.

She gently moved herself away from the small girl who had plastered herself to her side and wanted nothing else than to wake Beetlejuice up with a kiss and drag him to someplace private to continue what they started last night. She walked down the stairs and was a little more than disappointed when she saw that not only was Beetlejuice already up, he was up and talking to Lydia. She felt a surge of jealousy when she saw the two of them drinking coffee, but had to shake it off of herself. She knew that Lydia hated Beetlejuice and he wasn't that fond of her either, but still. Seeing him with another woman, Lydia or not, without her made her own blood boil and her eye twitch just a little bit.

She shook her head and put on a big smile before she walked down the rest of the stairs, knowing that she couldn't show him that she was jealous or he'd guess what she was protecting, herself.

"Good morning. Did you sleep well?" She asked the both of them. Beetlejuice threw her a lazy grin as she sat down beside him and kissed him on the cheek.

"Na Babes, you weren't there." He said and she smiled broader, her dimple deepening. He loved it when she smiled like that, like he had just given her the sun.

"I'm sorry for that, but Chloe was distraught last night." She said and turned to Lydia. "She said that she had a dream about the night that Jack wanted you out of the house." She explained. Lydia just nodded and sighed, looking down.

"I thought that they had heard, but I had hoped that they hadn't. Chloe is much more sensitive than her brothers, but I suppose that goes without saying." Lydia said and got up. "I better go see how she's doing."

"She's still sleeping in our bed if you want to go in there." Layla said. Lydia just nodded and turned to walk back up the stairs to check on her little girl.

"So, did you and Lydia have a nice chat?" Layla asked trying to sound as nonchalantly as possible when Lydia had left. Beetlejuice looked at Layla, one eyebrow raising up. "What?" She asked.

"You're good Babes, but you ain't that good. You're jealous." He said and smiled. He'd never had a woman actually be jealous over him before and it was kinda fun.

"I am not." She said and turned away, knowing that it gave her away as soon as she did it.

"Yes you are Babes. Don't worry, I like it. You're cute when you're jealous. You can keep gettin' jealous." He said.

"Do I have anything to be jealous about?" She asked her voice dead serious as she turned to look at him. He stared into those exotic purple eyes of hers and smiled.

"Of who? Lyds? Get real Babes. That shipped sailed a long time ago and it ain't comin' back to this shore." He said. He knew he meant it, every word, but he could tell that Layla didn't believe him. He sighed. A woman's prerogative, was to always worry and Layla was definitely a woman.


	22. A Night Out

Layla and Beej finally get some time alone together and Sloane and Lydia learn a little about themselves as well. Hope you enjoy, I'm having too much fun with this story ;)

Read and Review as always,

Loves.

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Layla looked out of the window in the attic and pulled her legs up close to her. She knew she was probably being silly, but she couldn't help the sinking feeling that she felt. She supposed that it was because Beetlejuice and Lydia had a history of sorts together that was tripping her up. She sighed and kept looking out the window. Spring had come, full blast and now the flowers were popping up. She missed going out and being able to see the flowers blooming. She did have to smile at the fact that soon she was going to be released out of this place. She was glad that she would be able to leave so soon and go, where? What would happen when she was released, would she be able to go with Beetlejuice, wherever he was? He did say that he hated where he was and that's why he was so desperate to stay with her. Why would he want her there as well?

Sloane peaked in the attic and saw Layla looking out the window, curled up in a window seat. If she had been real he would have flirted with her, but she wasn't, she was dead, very dead and had a ghostly boyfriend as well.

"Whatcha thinkin' about?" He asked. Layla turned startled at the voice that interrupted her thoughts and frowned.

"What do you want?" She hissed.

"Why are you always so hostile towards me?" He asked her, leaning against the doorframe. "I've never done anything to you have I?"

"You've invaded my privacy I think that would be enough." She said keeping her glare on him. He just shrugged at her and looked around.

"I thought you wanted to get out of the attic, how come you're in here? Hiding from your boyfriend?"

"No, I am not hiding from him. I just wanted a little time by myself, is that a crime?"

"Apparently not." He said and shrugged.

"I don't understand why you wanted to come back here in the first place?" She asked. He looked at her and smiled, thinking about the evening that Beetlejuice made him think about Layla naked. It threw her and she pressed herself against the window a little more, keeping her eyes on him.

"Maybe I saw something pretty and wanted to see more of it." He said slowly. Layla narrowed her eyes and made her chair slide up on him and knock him down. He looked at her, shock clear on his face.

"Don't think for one second that I can't hurt you Sloane. That wasn't funny and I don't appreciate it." She said, clear threat in her voice.

"All right, all right so I came back just because of money okay? Is that what you want to hear? I came back because I invested a shit load of money in this place and I didn't want to see it wasted, but you made it disappear anyway. That didn't really bother me, but the fact that I had it and Rowena didn't was satisfaction enough." He said struggling out of the chair.

"Good." She said and looked back out of the window.

"Damn you can be scary all by your little self when you want to be." He said and straightened out his clothes.

"I learned from the best." She said.

"Ya know I think you probably had it in you all along." He said and had to smile a little bit. "A crazy guy is something to be cautious of, but a crazy woman," He said walking up to her. "Is something to be feared." She looked at him, her unusual eyes darkening to the point that they were almost black.

"Do you fear me? Am I scary to you?" She asked, arching an eyebrow. He smiled at her and shrugged.

"We'll see won't we? Personally I think that you've got too much heart to be truly scary, but you never know." He said and winked at her. She just continued to stare at him as he turned around and walked out of the door.

"Where were you?" Beetlejuice asked when he saw Sloane walking down the stairs, his hands in his pockets.

"Having a chat with Layla." He said and smiled turning the corner and started whistling the chorus of the song Layla. Beetlejuice narrowed his eyes and walked up the stairs to find out what was going on. He felt a jealous rage bubble up inside of him as he went higher in the house. He opened up the attic door to see Layla still sitting on the window seat, her head resting on the glass.

"What did Sloane want?" He asked through clenched teeth. Layla looked at him and smiled lightly.

"He wanted to know what I was up to." She said and felt overwhelming joy at seeing Beetlejuice jealous.

"Why would he want to know that?" He asked. Layla couldn't help herself, she loved the fact that he was jealous and wanted to draw it out a little longer before she told him that nothing happened. She shrugged and looked away from him to hide her small smile.

"Concerned about me I suppose." She said.

"Why in the hell would he be concerned?" He was pouring out rage from everywhere, radiating with it and she just looked at him.

"I don't know Beej, I asked him why he was here anyway and he said that it was because he saw something pretty and wanted more." She said. His jaw slacked as he looked at her and shook his head.

"I'll kill 'im." He said and turned around. Layla had to bolt off of the window seat to catch his arm and pull him back smiling.

"Calm down Beej, I put him in his place." She said her eyes shining at him. He looked at her and wanted to turn and kill her, she was putting him through the ringer and loving every minute of it.

"Why do you do this shit to me Babes?" He asked her, but couldn't help but smile a little at her. She just shined at him and pushed herself into his arms, leaning her head against his chest, her favorite place to be.

"To make you jealous." She said simply. She had stumped him, how could he tell her that he wasn't when he was. They were playing a dangerous game and he knew it. If he wasn't careful he was going to fall in love with her, if he hadn't already. That made him pause, was he in love with her? How could you even know if you've never been in love before? He shook his head and hugged her tight to him.

"I think we need a night alone, what do ya say Babes?" He asked her. She pulled out of his arms to look into his face.

"How would we do that?" She asked him. "We can't, well I can't leave and the only place you can go is back to where you don't want to go."

"No, but we can get a few people out." He said. "We haven't had a full night to ourselves, well never really. Sloane came back the next day and then right after that Lyds and the kids came in. I'd like a full evening with you and just you." He said. She smiled at him and nodded.

"How are we going to explain that to them?" She asked. He looked down and kissed her lips softly.

"Leave it to me, I'll take care of everything. The only thing I want you to do is relax and think of something, creative." He said and winked at her. Before she could open her mouth to say anything he was out the door marching with a purpose. He climbed down the steps, skipping every couple and grabbed Sloane by the arm, yanking him out of the living room and into the kitchen.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" He asked yanking his arm back and rubbing the feeling back into it.

"I want you to take Lyds out." He said looking at Sloane.

"Are you nuts?"

"Do we have to go through that every time? Besides, that's not the point. I want you to take her out and the kids. Give Layla and me some time alone without anyone else here."

"What's in it for me?" Sloane asked crossing his arms in front of him.

"Will the fact that I won't kill you mean anything? Besides you like kids and you haven't really gotten to know them. It's the perfect opportunity." He said. Sloane seemed to be considering that. He did have a point and he seriously wondered if Beetlejuice would kill him if he said no.

"All right, when?"

"Tonight moron, as soon as possible." He said and walked away, getting the answer he wanted. He walked back up the stairs and knocked on Lydia's door once before walking in.

"What do you want?" She asked from her desk when she turned to see who it was.

"Get dressed, you're going out." He said.

"What?"

"You heard me. Sloane is taking you and the kids out for the night, preferably all night long. I don't want to see any of you until tomorrow." He said.

"Why?" She asked and saw the frustration in him.

"Because if I don't get a night alone with Layla I'm going crazy and taking you all with me." He said through clenched teeth.

"Why do you like her so much? It's not like she's alive or anything. You can't get what you want from her." Lydia said. "Don't get me wrong, I like her a lot, but she just doesn't have anything for you that you can gain from, so what's keeping you here?" She asked. Beetlejuice had to take a step back from that and look at her.

"So what if she's not alive, I've known that since she first died." He said.

"You knew her when she first died, but that was over a hundred years ago." Lydia said.

"Yeah, I came here looking to get a little business when I felt that she was frustrated, but she figured it out without me."

"So you've known her for a long time."

"Knew about her, but didn't know her."

"What do you mean?"

"I'd check in on her from time to time, but she was never awake." I can't speak to ghosts directly unless they call on me, but I can see them." He didn't know why he was telling Lydia this, but it all just seemed to fall out.

"So you never answered my question of why you're sticking around." She wasn't sure if she wanted him to admit that he loved her or not. She already knew that Layla loved him and she had to keep that little piece of information tucked under her hair or else Layla would probably kill her.

"It's none of your damn business that's why, so hurry up, get your kids and leave." He said and walked out. Lydia just smiled as he walked out and shook her head. A night out with her boss and children sounded just lovely, but she really didn't have much of a choice in the matter.

"I guess we're going somewhere for the night." Sloane said a little awkwardly when Lydia walked down the stairs with her children in tow.

"I guess we are." She said.

"How come we have to go?" Jordan asked. He had his hopes up that they would have some fun when her mother left, but then he heard that they had to go to and he'd be sulking ever since.

"Layla and BJ want a night alone just for themselves." She said not bothering to answer any more. Sloane just rolled his eyes and shuffled them all out of the door. What on earth was he going to do with three children and his secretary?

Layla had stayed in her bedroom and gotten herself ready for this evening. She didn't have a doubt in her mind that Beetlejuice would be able to get everyone out, he was desperate enough and they hadn't made love in a while and she knew he would do everything in his power. Ever since Chloe had come into their bedroom in the middle of the night, the children kept coming up with ways to sneak into their bedroom and disturbing them. He hadn't said anything, but she knew that it was bothering him. Truth be told it was bothering her too. She had become addicted to him and she wanted another fix. She left her hair flowing down her back and decided to wear just a simple nightgown, nothing to flashy because she wouldn't be wearing it for long if she had her way. She heard a knock at the door and felt herself fluttering a little knowing that it was Beetlejuice. She got up and answered the door and was speechless.

Beetlejuice had actually dressed himself with care for her and it showed. He was wearing a deep navy blue dress shirt, not buttoned up all the way and a pair of grey flat front pants with the faintest stripe running down them.

"Wow, Beej, you look great." She said looking him up and down.

"Not as great as you." He said and pulled her into his arms to kiss her. He loved her in the blood red of the gown that she was wearing.

"Are you ready for our night?" He asked when he broke their kiss. She looked up at him and smiled.

"You mean it's not just to bed?" She asked and he laughed at her.

"To bed, to the couch, the kitchen and any other place we can think of. I wouldn't mind a shower again." He said and she laughed at him.

"Interesting." She said and slid her arm through his. They walked down the stairs and Layla had to put her hand over her mouth to keep herself from crying. The living room had been lit up with dozens of candles that glowed. "I never knew you were such a romantic." She said when she thought she could talk without bursting into tears. He just smiled at her and led her down the stairs.

"Only when it comes to you Babes." He said and enjoyed the glow of candlelight on her face.

"If I didn't know any better I'd say that you like it too." She said and leaned into him.

"Can't put anything past you." He said and picked her up in his arms. She laughed and enjoyed being carried to the couch where he laid her down.

"What do you have on your mind I wonder?" She asked, keeping her arms around his neck.

"Babes you always know what's on your mind." He said leaning in to kiss her and was delighted when she slipped her tongue into his mouth, drawing more out of him.

"The same thing that's on mine." She said and started unbuttoning his shirt, pulling him out of it. He slid his hand up the skirt of her gown and reached for her, enjoying her arch against him as she wrapped her arms around his back..

"It feels like forever Babes and I don't think I can take that any more." He said sliding her legs apart as he unzipped his pants.

"I don't think I can either." She said wrapping her long legs around him and then she lost all thought as he gently guided himself in her.

Lydia sat at the table and looked around at the other families that were laughing and smiling. She hated theme restaurants, but with all of her children she supposed that Sloane thought he was doing them a favor. The kids were off running around playing games while they sat eating pizza that might as well have been cardboard and cheese. Beetlejuice better appreciate this and she would make sure that he got every single detail from the kids for at least a week.

"Sorry about the location, but with the kids and us being forced to be out for the whole night, I had to do something." Sloane said after he changed his money into fake coins for the kids. "It's all right Sloane, I know that you just wanted the kids to have fun. They would have been bored hours ago at any other place." Lydia said and gave a little smile.

"Well now that they're occupied what about you? What makes you hate...him, so much?"

"You didn't hear that night when I was telling Layla?" She asked. He just shook his head and looked at her.

"I was a teenager and he wanted to marry me."

"Why?"

"If he married a living person then he would be released from his duties that he has." Lydia said and shrugged. "After everything went down I never saw him again until I was at your little party and he crashed it." Lydia said and shrugged.

"Did he like love you or something?"

"No, he just wanted out so bad. I did wonder for a while after that how bad it was and how desperate he was to marry a little girl." Lydia said and shook her head.

"So when did you meet Jack or Jonathon?" He asked. Lydia smiled at him and remembered the good times she had with her husband. He was so caring then.

"I met Jonathon when I was going to art school for photography. He was taking a class in photography as well, something he'd always wanted to do and since his father made him become a business major so he had to go to another school to do it in secret. We connected and fell in love. His family hated me, but he didn't care. It was only after I had Jordan that things had begun to become strained. I ignored it for a long time, but now it was just so clear. Hindsight, twenty twenty right?" She said with a half smile. Sloane didn't say anything, just nodded.

"I suppose it was the same with Rowena. I didn't want to admit it, but we were growing apart and fast. Oh what a tangled web we weave right? If she just would have been honest with me in the first place it would have saved us a lot of heartache. At least you got three beautiful kids out of it. I just got a haunted house." Sloane said with a shrug. Lydia nodded, she did love her children and she wouldn't have changed her years with Jonathon for that.

"We have a lot more in common than I would have realized" Lydia said.

"Yup, maybe we should have had an affair too huh?" He said and smiled. Lydia smiled back, but it fell quickly.

"They deserved each other." She spat out bitterly, but quickly had to change when Riley came up for more tokens, a large wad of tickets in his hands.

"Keep these for me Mom." Riley said shoving the tickets in her hands. She smiled at her small son and nodded. He smiled at her and dashed away, ready to get more tickets for the cheap prizes they handed out.

"I wonder if BJ and Layla are having a good time." Sloane wondered out loud. Lydia rolled her eyes. That was the last thing she wanted on her mind.

Layla laid her head down on Beetlejuice's bare chest and waited for her breathing to come back down to normal. They had made their way from the living room sofa, to the kitchen counter, to the bedroom and now she was exhausted.

"I think we made up for lost time." She said and looked up at Beetlejuice. He just smiled at her and winked.

"I don't think we made up for all the lost time we lost." He said.

"What do you mean?" She asked sitting up, her hair falling over her breasts.

"Oh nothin'. I just think every time we're not in bed, it's time lost." He said saving himself. He had almost told her that he'd known about her since she died and that would have been hazardous to his own health. She smiled at him and closed her eyes, the words were on her lips, she wanted to say that she loved him, but they died without being spoken. She just couldn't make herself, not until she knew he felt the same way.


	23. Wine Tasting

Okay, so I know that this chapter is a little bit shorter than what I have been posting, but I wanted this chapter to stand alone and by itself. I'm hoping that you enjoy this, I found it amusing and fun to do.

Uh, just as a quick notice there is a sex scene in here, but I've made it a little more...detailed...than I have before. I've been kind of censoring myself, but if you want me to unleash the full potenial of my "romantic" writing skills let me know and I will ;) I'm a romantic, so sue me!

Oh, oh, oh. By the by, before I forget, I made like a "cover" for this "book" that I'm going to post on DA if you want to check it out. I think it turned out pretty good so I hope that you like it too!

Enjoy and Review, you know I love to hear what you have to say!

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Lydia tucked Riley in his hotel bed along with Jordan when he put a hand on his mother's.

"Do you think Aunt Layla and Uncle Beej miss us?" He asked in a sleepy voice.

"Why do you call them that?" She asked sitting down on the bed. Riley just smiled and yawned as he looked at his m other.

"Because they are." He said and rolled over to fall asleep. Lydia raised an eyebrow at her son's response, but he was tired and didn't really know what he was saying. Because they are? What did that mean?

"I'm sure they do."

"Then why did we have to leave for the night?"

"They just wanted a night alone, just the two of them." She said and smiled. He nodded and yawned before he turned over to face his sleeping brother.

"Night mom." He whispered. She smiled at her small son and touched his soft black hair, her hair.

"Night Baby." She said. Lydia looked over at her daughter who was hogging the bed, laying right in the middle, holding onto her pillow. She knew she should probably go to sleep, but she wasn't tired yet and the time alone was nice. Lydia got up and sat down at the couch in the small hotel room. Sloane had been nice enough to pay for them to have a room, so she couldn't complain too much. She just didn't understand why she couldn't go home. That made her pause, it wasn't her home and she was having a hard time reminding herself of that. She had to keep that thought constantly in her mind or else she was in jeopardy of never leaving. There was a slight knock on the door and she raised an eyebrow before getting up to answer it.

"Want a glass of wine, just the two of us?" Sloane asked holding up a bottle. Lydia turned to look at her children, who were all sleeping softly, a sliver of the hallway light slicing across their faces. "We'll just be right next door. We'll hear if anything is wrong." He said. Lydia would like some time without her children, but with Sloane? He was her boss, the man who's wife cheated on him with Lydia's own husband. She sighed and nodded, she needed a glass of wine to relax after being at the children's restaurant for hours on end. They had to drag the kids kicking and screaming from the restaurant to stay at the hotel since Beetlejuice and Layla wanted a night alone.

She supposed she couldn't blame them, not really anyway. Jordan, Chloe and Riley weren't their kids and they had been nice enough to treat them like that. Maybe that's why her children called them aunt and uncle, they treated them like part of the family. Something their own extended family didn't do. Lydia barely received birthday cards for them from her own parents and they never got anything except for a Christmas card from Jonathon's parents.

Lydia slipped out of the door and followed Sloane into his room to have a break from the children.

"Where did you get the wine?" She asked when she walked into his room.

"From room service, decent bottle too. They must keep their pantries stocked."

"What are you a sommelier?" She asked teasing him. For some strange reason, seeing him like this it made it hard for her to keep reminding herself that he was her boss.

"Only on occasion." Sloane said and winked at her, pulling the cork out.

"You're kids are great Lydia, they really are." Sloane said when he poured a glass of red wine for Lydia.

"Thanks Sloane, I hope that they aren't too much of a nuisance staying in the house." Lydia said taking a sip and had to smile. It was a nice wine, soft and smooth as it made it's way down, relaxing her.

"Of course not, having all of you there make having Layla and BJ tolerable. I think the kids chill them out." He said and made Lydia laugh.

"I hope so because BJ does need to be cooled down." She said. Sloane just smiled and took a sip of his own wine.

"You say you hate him so much, yet you do not send him back to where he comes from. Why?" Sloane asked and Lydia frowned, taking a large gulp of wine and wincing at the sharp taste.

"I don't send him back because I don't want to face Layla's wrath. She would do something pretty bad if I did send him back. The argument we got into a while back was nothing. I saw a clear threat coming from her that day. She loves him you know." She said and was surprised when Sloane didn't react.

"I'm not surprised, I did have my suspicions. She doesn't try to hide it very much." He said and Lydia shrugged.

"She hides it well enough for Beej not to know."

"Men, even dead ones, don't see something unless it's right in front of their face." He said taking another sip. Lydia took another large gulp of wine finishing off her glass. Sloane just poured her some more when she looked down at it. "You really do need to relax." He said and she nodded taking a fresh drink.

"What do you mean about men not seeing unless it's in front of their face."

"I didn't see Rowena cheating on me until it was spelled out and the signs were all there." He said and took a large gulp himself.

"I didn't either." She said.

"All right, then let's rephrase. People, dead or not don't see things unless they want to."

"That's better." Lydia said and was beginning to slur her words. Sloane just smiled and kept her glass full, who cared if they got drunk? He certainly didn't and they both needed to get drunk for a night.

"What do you think she would do?" Sloane said slurring his own words after two glasses of wine.

"Don't know, but it would be bad." Lydia said frowning at her empty glass. Sloane poured some more in and tipped it a little, spilling the wine. "We need more." She said and picked up the phone.

"We're drunk." Sloane said when they had finished the second bottle after room service brought it up. Lydia looked at her empty glass again and frowned.

"I know, but I want some more." She said and reached for the phone again. Sloane caught her wrist and looked at her.

"I don't think we need any more." He said. "Why did your husband cheat on you?" He asked looking at Lydia. She looked down and stuck her lip out.

"Don't know, guess I just stopped bein' pretty." She said, weaving where she sat.

"No you didn't. You're still pretty." He said and it made Lydia look back up at him.

"How come your wife cheat on you?"

"Don't know, guess I stopped bein' handsome." He said mimicking her answer. She smiled at him and shook her head.

"No you didn't." She said and leaned in. Somewhere deep in her mind she told herself she should go back to her own room and fall asleep, but she didn't want to. She wanted him to kiss her, she wanted him to do more than kiss her. He smiled at her and leaned in too and kept his hand on her wrist.

"What are you thinking about?" He asked. She smiled and leaned forward kissing his lips and tasting the wine. Sloane didn't think about the fact that her children were in the other room. He didn't want to remember that he was her boss or that his wife cheated on him with her husband. She was a woman and she was the same age as he was and beautiful. He pulled her into him and started to pull her clothes away from her. She didn't stop him and opened her mouth to slid her tongue inside his own, tasting the wine and him mixed together.

Lydia made her mind shut down and just wanted to feel a warm, strong body against her own. She hadn't made love in so long she wasn't sure if she remembered how, but she wanted to. He tore away her blouse and struggled with her bra hooks. She fumbled with the buttons on his shirt and pushed it away to feel his chest, running her hands all over, feeling every part she could reach.

Sloane was trying desperately to pull her bra off and keep kissing her, she tasted so good, but the stupid bra wouldn't budge. She finally pushed him off of her and took off her own bra, pushing back on him to feel her breasts against his skin. It felt so good to have a man against her and she leaned down to kiss him again. He didn't waste any more time, near desperate now to be with her. He flipped her on her back sliding his hands underneath her skirt to reach her panties and tore them off of her. She arched her back as he hiked her skirt up and wrapped her legs around him. He didn't even take them time to pull his pants off, just unbuttoned and unzipped and plunged straight into her, full tilt. Lydia screamed and arched, accepting him in his full force as he leaned down to kiss her, cupping her breasts with his hands as he thrust deep in her, touching her womb. She moaned and moved with him as she ran her hands across his bare back and never wanted him to stop, the pressure that she hadn't felt in so long building up in her.

There was no foreplay, but there wasn't any need for it. Lydia had wanted him to be inside her and he wanted to be inside her, neither of them taking the time to tease. He pushed her as hard as he could, keeping her pinned down with his body and mouth. He felt her start to tense up right before she let out another long, high scream as she had her orgasm and he wasn't far behind her, screaming into her mouth before he gave her one more hard push and collapsed on top of her.

Sloane let his breathing and heartbeat come back to normal before he pulled out of her and felt her quiver under him when he did. He pulled her next to him and let out a deep breath and stared up at the ceiling.

"That was somethin' else." He said, his voice reminding him of the way Beetlejuice sounded, but he didn't care. If Beetlejuice could get some serious action from Layla by the way he acted, maybe there was something to it.

"Yeah it was." Lydia said and closed her eyes. It wasn't another two seconds before she was asleep, snoring softly against Sloane's shoulder. He looked down at her for a minute and smiled. She looked like an innocent when she was asleep, pretty and innocent. He fell asleep against her, feeling her soft breath on his chest and still tasting her in his mouth.


	24. Good Morning and Evening

Wow, I didn't think I was gonna be able to post tonight. Shocker there. Relatives in town and who woulda thought, but they can get kinda pissy if you stick your nose in the computer and ignore them, no matter how noble the cause and there certainly is no higher cause than Beetlejuice :D

Anyway I got it done, woo hoo! AND it kinda dawned on me that I have it rated M for a reason, so I'm using it. I'm pretty sure you won't mind. I hope you won't mind anyway. (Slightly worried look). Anywho. I gotta go to bed so I can get up and go to work. Goody. I am just so enthused about that...woo...hoo...

You know I love ya, you know I want ya to review, you know that it gives me a major ego boost AND ya know that I pull out the best stuff when I have one ;)

Loves.

Lace

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Lydia woke up and looked over seeing a sleeping Sloane next to her and she almost groaned. What had she done? Not that it wasn't great, because it was. It was better than great actually, but Sloane? Oh God what had she done? She carefully slipped out of Sloane's arms and looked around for her bra. She found her bra on the other side of the room along with her shirt. She grabbed them and put them on as quietly as possible and slipped out the door and back to her children. She felt horribly that she had left them alone all night long while she had sex and slept off her drunken night, with her boss no less. She groaned softly to herself, her head spun and throbbed with a hangover as she slid in next to her sleeping daughter who just curled up to her mother, her sleep unbroken.

Layla laid next to Beetlejuice and curled up in his arms. She sighed happily and let herself slowly wake up. She had all the time in the world and she was going to use it. They had made love more times than she could remember and each time was just as explosive as the last. She was so happy that he had pushed everyone out to have the entire house to themselves. She smiled to herself as she vividly remembered when she was sitting on the counter, her legs wrapped around him and nearly falling off more times than she'd like to remember. She licked her lips and still tasted him on them, so rich and dark, wonderful to her. He was still sleeping soundly as she turned to look at him, the ruggedly sharp looks that moved her so much it awoke a passion in her that she never thought could exist. She smiled and laid her hand on his chest, twirling her fingers in the sparse chest hair that he did have and made her way down.

Beetlejuice woke up to the feel of cool fingers making their way down his stomach, gently and light.

"What are ya doin' Babes?" He asked, his eyes still closed.

"Giving you a good morning." Layla said as her fingers reached the curls and she tangled her fingers in them. Her touch instantly made him harder than a rock as he popped his eyes wide open and turned to look at her. She'd never taken any real initiative before and it surprised him as well as overjoyed him.

"I guess so." He said, his words sticking in his throat as she smiled, the morning sun on her pale face. She was beautiful even if her hair was tangled and her face had no color from the makeup that she usually wore. It didn't matter that her eyes were covered in a haze of sleep as she lightly made her way, ever so gently down to touch him, her fingers sliding over to hold him in her hand. "Oh God Babes, I'm gonna die." He said and felt his body start to shake. "Don't stop, don't ever stop." He said. He wanted to feel her too, but she had all the control as she felt him, softly and slowly, her eyes riveted to his face, watching him contort with a fascination.

"Does it hurt Beej?" She asked, studying the look of sheer agony on him and loving every minute of it.

"God yes, it's the best pain ever." He chocked as she moved her hand, her naked body pressed against the side of his. He could feel her breasts moving on the side of his chest, her cool breath blowing over his skin and he lost any control he thought he had. She smiled as he took his release in her hand and felt a rush of power course through her. He turned to smile lazily at her and kissed her lips. "Mornin'." He said sluggishly. She giggled and kissed him back, a little harder since she had more energy.

"Mornin'." She said and kept her smile on her lips. She really did love the ghost that was next to her and she wanted to tell him desperately, but she still kept her feelings closed off. She had imagined the scenario a hundred times in her mind, her confession and then from there she didn't know what would happen. She wasn't content to just sit and have him be her lover, but she didn't really know what else to do. She just laid there and watched him as his breathing came back to normal and he closed his eyes back to fall asleep again. She didn't care that she hadn't received the same pleasure she gave him, it fascinated her to watch him since most of the time she was in her own throws of passion by the time he had his. With her being completely in control of the situation she was able to see everything and she loved it.

Lydia was exhausted and cranky, the trip back to the house had been more than awkward, it had been almost unbearable. She had tried to ignore the looks that she had received from Sloane and concentrated on her children. When she walked back into the house she wanted to scream seeing Beetlejuice and Layla sitting on the couch, Layla's legs draped over Beetlejuice's as they watched a movie together. Her children came running in the house and landed on top of them.

"Aunt Layla, Uncle Beej, did you miss us?" Riley asked as he huddled up next to Beetlejuice. Beetlejuice chuckled and looked down at the little boy.

"Sure we did Kid, you have fun?" He asked and watched Riley's eyes glow as he nodded.

"I got so many tickets Uncle Beej, you shoulda seen."

"I got the high score on the new Harry Potter game that came out." Jordan said proudly. Beetlejuice looked at Layla in question, but she just shrugged at him.

"What's that?" He asked and Jordan dropped his jaw.

"Video games?"

"Should that mean somethin' kid?"

"MOM." Jordan yelled and Lydia walked back into the room from the kitchen.

"What is it Jordan?" She asked sharply.

"Where's my PS2?" He asked. Lydia wished with all her heart that her children would have completely forgotten about that stupid machine. She sighed, at least she'd gotten a few good weeks without it.

"It's in the storage shed along with your other games." She said in a sigh. Jordan raced out of the house and nearly knocked over Sloane who was carrying in the overnight bags that they had taken.

"What was that about?" He asked handing Lydia her bag. She shook her head at him and turned to walk up the stairs, ignoring the stare she got from Layla. Layla had noticed the wince that Lydia gave to Sloane and it was enough to peak her interest. Beetlejuice was being preoccupied by Chloe who was clinging to him and Layla had to admit that Chloe's crush on him was adorable.

"You'll love this Uncle Beej." Chloe said pulling on the sleeve of his shirt. He had grown accustomed to wearing simple vest shirts and jeans. He liked the way Layla's fingers played with the buttons on them and the heated looks she would give him when he would leave the first couple of buttons undone. The one that he was wearing now, that Chloe was currently tugging on was a deep magenta that Layla said went well with his pale skin.

"Love what?" He asked and Chloe just smiled at him, tugging his arm around her shoulders as she watched her brothers set up their games.

Layla never thought that she would become jealous of a stupid machine, but she felt herself going that way as the children showed Beetlejuice all the buttons and knobs and he was glued to the television for the long haul. She sighed and got up after a few hours when she couldn't stand to hear anymore and walked up the stairs to see what Lydia was up to. She gently knocked on the door of Lydia's room and waited.

"Go away Sloane, I don't want to talk to you." Lydia called. Layla raised her eyebrows and just traveled through the door.

"I want to talk to you though." She said and had a little sliver of joy as she watched Lydia jump around, her hand on her chest.

"Jesus Layla, you scared the shit out of me." She said, not bothering to try and censor herself.

"I can see that, you thought I was Sloane, curious." She said and smiled, sitting down on the bed.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Lydia asked, getting angry. Layla just kept smiling and crossed her legs.

"Defensive too? Curiouser and curiouser." She said and shook her head, clicking her tongue. "Something happened and a blind person could see it."

"Nothing happened," Lydia snapped. "Why don't you go back to your boyfriend and go to bed or something." She said, but Layla just sat there and had the gall to look bored.

"He's currently having an affair with a machine. I'll have to get a little nasty if it goes into the evening, but for now, it's fine." She said with a shrug. "You're nasty and defensive and the only thing that would make you that is sleeping with Sloane." Layla said and watched as Lydia was stone silent. "Oh my God, really?" She said. It wasn't like Sloane was a bad looking guy, quite attractive really. Always clean cut and shaven, wearing clothes that fit and had his hair combed just so. Layla thought he was a bore really, but she could still see the attractive qualities.

"Yes." Lydia said in a tight voice.

"But he's so...proper, polite you know?" Layla said. She imagined all the times she shared with Beetlejuice and had to smile. He was never polite when it came to her body and he was never proper, period. But that's what she loved about it. Lydia just smiled and shook her head, her face flushing to a beet red.

"Not in bed he isn't."

"Really? You have to tell me and don't leave out any of the details." Layla said and laid down on her stomach, her legs crossing up in the air.

"Why should I tell you anything?" Lydia asked, she wasn't used to having a girlfriend that wanted to hear the gossip, especially one who was dead.

"If you don't start dishing right now, I'll start telling you about our weekend." Layla said, threat in her voice. Her eyebrows raised in a challenge.

"Oh yeah?" Lydia said and crossed her arms over her chest.

"Okay, so first we had sex on the couch, but that wasn't too much out of the ordinary. I mean, it was fantastic, but always is. After that, like five minutes Beej grabbed me and tore my nightgown off, tearing it to shreds, he can be such an animal, but of course you know that. Anyway, he picked me up and hauled me to the kitchen, putting me on the counter and..." Layla said in one breath.

"Okay, okay I give," Lydia said putting her hands over her ears. "No more or my ears will start to bleed." Layla just laughed and shook her head. She knew that Lydia would give in sooner or later.

Beetlejuice had never seen anything like this before and he had to admit that it was addicting. The kids sat around him telling him what to push and when to push it as he made his way through the mazes.

"All right, you guys have school in the morning." Sloane said turning off the television and had to keep from laughing when not only the kids moaned, but Beetlejuice did as well. Sloane just pointed to the stairs and watched as all three children said good night to Beetlejuice, Chloe and Riley giving him hugs as they walked past him.

"So you get any?" Beetlejuice asked when the children had gone up stairs. Sloane froze in his tracks and stared, wide eyed at the ghost. Beetlejuice just bursted out laughing when he saw his reaction. "Holy shit! I was just screwing with ya, but you did? How did you get that ice queen to put out?" He asked. Sloane frowned and knew that he should keep his mouth shut, but blurted out the words before he could stop himself.

"We had two bottles of wine." He confessed and watched as Beetlejuice just laughed harder.

"Was she a wildcat in the sack?"

"Why would you ask? I thought you hated her?" Sloane asked.

"Nah, I don't hate her, don't like her really, but hate's a bit strong. You avoided the question which either meant that it was a dud or it wasn't." Beetlejuice said. Sloane didn't say anything and Beetlejuice watched as a dull flush crept up his face. "You son of a bitch," He said and laughed. "I knew she would be a wildcat."

"I wouldn't exactly put it," Sloane started and paused. "Well, ya I would actually." He said and smiled. Beetlejuice slapped him on the back and shook his head.

"Takin' a leaf outta my book huh?"

"Not the worst idea." Sloane admitted which made Beetlejuice laugh harder. "So, you get some?" He asked and Beetlejuice looked at him, a hint of shock and hurt on his face.

"Did you even doubt it?"

"No."

"Good, cause I did."

"Yeah? Good?"

"It's always good with Layla. She really is a wildcat." Beetlejuice said and Sloane heard the pride in his voice. It wasn't really love, not that he could tell anyway, but it was definitely pride that was thick in his voice and written all over his face.

"Lydia and Sloane had sex." Layla and Beetlejuice said at the exact same time when Beetlejuice walked into their room and they both collapsed into laughter.

"Sloane told you?" Layla asked when she recovered and Beetlejuice nodded.

"Lyds told you?" He asked and Layla smiled at him. "How on earth did you get her to spill the beans." He asked and Layla just kept smiling and he could see the devil in her eyes, loving every minute of it.

"I started to tell her about our little weekend." She said and watched him as his eyes heat up. "Don't you ever stop?" She asked and wrapped her arms around him.

"Nope, do you?"

"Never." She whispered and reached over to bit his ear, nibbling it. His eyes nearly crossed and the picked up her, hurling her onto their bed. "What are you up to?" Layla asked as she propped herself up on her elbows. He smiled and laid down on top of her, kissing her deeply.

"You woke me up in a very nice way this morning. I want to get you to sleep, the same way." He said. Layla's eyes widened up as he began to unbutton her shirt, taking his time and kissing her skin after he released a button and pushed the fabric away. He kept his own clothes on just for insurance, he didn't want to lose his control and break his concentration on her. If she could be a tease, then by God, so could he. Beetlejuice made his way down her body and slowly unbuttoned her jeans, unzipping them slowly and pulling them away from her. He wanted to shout with joy when he heard her inhale deeply as he kissed the front of her lacy underwear, pulling her pants off of her slowly.

Layla had to grip the sheets with her hands as he slowly undressed her. It wasn't fair, she'd only been in control one time and he had her under his thumb, but she wasn't about to complain too much when he slowly lifted her out of her underwear and bra, kissing her breasts and lingering on her nipple, using his tongue to it's fullest advantage. She finally let go of the sheets and ran her fingers through his hair, moaning and arching her back. He just smiled at her and made his way down her flat stomach to her hips and lingered there as she shivered underneath his touch.

"Like that do ya?" He asked pulling himself away from her skin.

"Don't stop." She cried out and he laughed softy at her, slowly pulling her legs apart and kissing the soft skin of her inner thighs. She moaned deeper and yanked on his hair as he made his way in between her legs, sliding his tongue inside her.

Layla nearly leapt off of the bed, feeling him as he tasted her, normally he was so quick with foreplay because he couldn't contain himself, but now? He was taking his time, searching every part of her with his tongue and she moaned louder, wrapping her legs around his shoulders. He just kept moving, exploring and tasting as he moved his hands up her body to hold her breasts while he continued. It was all too much for Layla and she screamed, high and loud not a care in the world if anyone heard.

Beetlejuice watched her and felt like nothing else, controlling her feelings and body with his own. It didn't matter that he wasn't physically inside her, just his tongue. He got more satisfaction out of watching her orgasm than he did from his own and it moved him, deeply. She was at her most beautiful when she did orgasm. Her rich, dark hair flinging in her eyes when she arched off of the bed and her eyes wild with passion, so rich that he had to marvel in it. He wanted to tell her, but not now. He didn't really think she'd be able to comprehend it now, she was gone, away from him and he sent her there. She smiled at him, soft and slow, her afterglow so strong she nearly had an aura around her. She opened her arms to him and he went to her, wrapping his own arms around her and fell asleep. Her naked body against his fully clothed one.


	25. Games

Okay so this chapter...was just plain fun. I loved every second of it.

Ooo, and before I forget cause I'm an airhead, I have just started to draw after like 7 years and I'm getting better, but if anyone wants to draw Beej and Layla in ANY situation they are more than welcome to do it. I would love to see someone else's perspective on the whole thing. That would be awesome, seriously. So yeah, just putting it out there, cause...just cause.

Anyway enough of me, I'm done. Read and enjoy, I hope so anyway. Loves and Review!

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"Wanna play a game?" Beetlejuice asked when Layla came out of the shower the next morning. 

"What kind of game?" Layla asked and took the towel off her head, shaking the water out of her air. Beetlejuice sat and watched her for a few minutes, his eyes dilating as he sat in their bed.

"A dirty one." He said when he got back his focus. She lifted her head and smiled.

"My favorite." She said and sat down on the bed, a towel wrapped tightly around her chest. "What is this dirty game?"

"See who comes first." He said, trying to look down the knot in the towel to see her breasts.

"I see and what are the rules?"

"Don't."

"Don't what?"

"Don't come first. We can do anything we want, but the second you scream,"

"Or you." She shot back at him and he smiled.

"Or me, we lose."

"Interesting." Layla said and nodded her head, one eyebrow raising. "What do you get if you win?"

"To come second?" He offered and made her laugh.

"That's not very fair. There has to be some sort of prize at the end of the tunnel." She said, knowing full and well that she would win, hands down. Beetlejuice had no control over himself.

"All right. What do ya want?"

"A date." Layla said simply.

"What?"

"You heard me. I want a date, a real one. I want to be swept off my feet."

"Yeah and what do I get if I win?"

"What do you want?"

"You."

"What?"

"You heard me too Babes. I want you, all of you, any time I want." He said. She laughed and leaned in to kiss him.

"You have me all the time, any time you want." She said against his mouth. He smiled and grabbed her waist, pulling her down beside him and leaned over her.

"I know it." He said and reached down between the towel to touch her. She gasped and moved her hips.

"We need more rules or this game isn't gonna last long." She said.

"Like what?" He asked. She gently pushed him off of her so she could sit back up, holding the towel tighter to her.

"First of all it can't be just one game. Let's make it two out of three, whoever gets two to one, wins. Next, no touching."

"What?" He asked looking perplexed.

"Boy you're deaf this morning. No hands, no teeth, no...mouth." She said and gulped. "Only other things like a feather or piece of cloth. No skin contact or else it's an immediate disqualification and the other person automatically wins." She said and was heated already. He swallowed hard as his mind raced with all the possibilities.

"All right Babes, you're on." He said and held out his hand. She looked at him and smiled, shaking his hand before he pulled her in and back down again. "Let's start now." He said and yanked the towel away from her. She smiled and nodded as he made a long peacock feather appear in his hands. Her eyes widened as she looked at him, but she held firm. She would not lose, she couldn't. Not just to save face, but because she desperately wanted that date with him. Not just sex, but time together. She was not going to be outdone by him, not this quickly and made her own feather appear and his clothes gone.

"Hey, no fair." He said, but he was smiling anyway.

"Oh yes it is." She said and smiled, brushing the feather along his jaw line. He shivered and used his own feather against her. If she wasn't going to play fair then he certainly wasn't. It was harder than he thought to not touch her, especially when her creamy white skin was begging for his fingers. He wanted her so badly, but he also wanted to prove a point. She didn't always have all the control over him, just about ninety nine percent of it. He ran the end of the feather between her legs and felt her skin start to quiver and he had to smile to himself. She shot him a look and ran her own feather right over h im and he frowned. Maybe it wasn't going to be so easy to get her to come first. She had stamina, he'd seen that himself and loved it.

Unlike Beetlejuice, Layla had an advantage of when she saw if she was heading in the right direction or not and she was. Beetlejuice might be able to control a lot of things, but there was one thing in particular he had no control over, only Layla did. She smiled to herself and tossed away her feather, it was nice, but she wanted results and fast. She leaned down only an inch from him and blew her icy breath against him. He nearly leapt off the bed took several deep breaths before he was able to speak.

"You really are evil Babes." He said in light breaths. She smiled at him and just continued to blow. He would have shoved her off, but that meant touching and that was an immediate disqualification. He couldn't take it anymore as his hips naturally jerked and he clenched his fists, biting his lower lip. He'd let her have this one, but she was gonna pay and dearly for it.

Layla sat up and smiled watching him as he climaxed and moaned. She never thought it would be so powerful to her, but it was. She had victory and victory was always sweet. Before she could say anything he yanked her down to him and pulled her mouth to his, hard.

"You are going to pay for that." He said and dove his hand between her legs, not giving her any time to react.

"No fair, no touching." She said against him and arched her back moaning at his touch.

"We're not playing now Layla." He said, his tone serious and almost threatening. Layla could only look up and moan louder as his fingers moved in her. He might have been spent, but not for long. One thing Beetlejuice always prided himself on was being the ghost with the most and that included the bedroom. Actually the bedroom came first and then everything afterwards. Actually Layla came first in the bedroom and then everything after. He kept his fingers inside her and sent his mouth to her breast and sent her straight over the edge as she screamed.

Layla was heaving when he finally regained himself and dove straight in, causing her to throw her head back and press her hips upward.

"Oh God." She cried out as he went deeper into her. He wanted to be inside her, completely and fully and she accepted him, her legs around his hips as she pressed him further. It wasn't until they had both screamed for the second time that he collapsed on top of her and she smiled with what little energy she had left.

"I think," Beetlejuice started, but had to catch his breath. "That this is going to be the best game ever."

"I do too." Layla said and kissed his ear. She wanted to wake up like this forever, just her and him. Preferably him on top of her, actually inside her, she couldn't decide which was better.

Layla walked out of the bedroom whistling when she ran into Sloane.

"Hi ya Sloane. Sleep well?" She asked as she walked down the stairs with him. He looked at her and raised his eyebrows.

"Someone's in a good mood. Apparently you slept well." He said and Layla just laughed at him.

"Who slept?" She called and made him cross his eyes. He sighed and supposed he should have known. They never kept their hands off each other and he silently wished it was the same for him. Being with Lydia had been great, but she'd flipped out afterwards. He supposed he couldn't blame her, but he did. Why couldn't she just relax for one moment. The world was not going to crumble and fall away if she took a day off and did something that was off the wall and crazy. Not like he could talk, but it was easier for him to blame her than it was to look at himself the same way. What they had done was crazy and reckless and he found that he liked it, a lot. Maybe he was spending too much time with Beetlejuice, the ghost was rubbing off on him in a big way. He didn't really care about work as much as he used to and found himself wanting to call it quits earlier and earlier to get back to the house where the kids, Layla and Beetlejuice were in. They always seemed to be laughing and having fun together and he wanted to be a part of that. He sighed again and it made Layla turn to look at him in question.

"What's the matter with you?" She asked.

"Nothing, just gotta go to work. You wanna do me a favor?"

"What's that?" She asked putting her hands on her hips.

"Just zap me a big cup of coffee for the road. I need it."

"Since I'm in such a good mood this morning." She said, she snapped and a large mug of steaming coffee appeared.

"You're the best." He said and took a sip.

"Only I'm allowed to say that." Beetlejuice said walking down the stairs. He knew that Layla had no interest in Sloane, but he still was jealous when he saw her talking to him. Layla just smiled at him and walked into the kitchen where Lydia was getting the kids ready for school.

"You're up pretty late this morning." Lydia said as she gave Riley his lunch. Layla just smiled and grabbed an apple.

"Not really, I was up a while ago." She said and enjoyed Lydia's slight shiver.

"Okay, let's go." Lydia called and herded her children out.

"Bye Aunt Layla." Jordan said and waved. She bit into her apple and waved back at him.

"See you all later." She called to them. Lydia rolled her eyes as she passed Sloane and Beetlejuice.

"I'm heading out to the car, so hurry up." She called and it made Sloane roll his eyes at her back.

"Already actin' like a married couple huh? Damn that sure was a hell of a fast honeymoon." Beetlejuice said. Layla walked back out and he threw his arm around her shoulders, taking a bite out of the apple she was holding.

"Oh shut up." Sloane said with some disgust mixed with awe as he turned to follow Lydia out. Layla just laughed and looked up at Beetlejuice.

"Now what do we do?"

"Anything you want Babes." He said and winked at her. She stood there and thought hard about it.

"I want to cook." She said and turned on her heel to walk back into the kitchen.

"Wait...what?" Beetlejuice called and walked after her. She just smiled at him and turned on the oven.

"I said, I want to cook." She said.

"Fine, but you're cookin' naked." He said and snapped her clothes off.

"BEEJ! We just did that." She hissed at him, ducking down behind the island in the kitchen.

"Round two comin' up." He said. She wanted to be furious, but he just snapped and her wrists were covered in soft silk that tied her to the kitchen table.

"You're not goin' anywhere Babes." He said.

"You're cheating." She said, but felt herself getting excited.

"No I'm not. I'm not touchin' you am I?"

"Not fair." She said and blinked his own clothes off of him. He wasn't bothered by it this time as he blew against her back with his own icy breath. She shivered and threw her head back, moaning deep in her throat. "This can't be healthy." She whispered.

"Hate to break it to ya Babes, but we don't need healthy anymore." He said against her and blew into her ear. He felt himself getting excited, but he had to get a hold of himself. He couldn't let her win twice in a row. He'd never live it down. She moaned louder as he took another piece of silk and ran it across her back and down her legs, sliding back up to go between them.

"Not...fair." She whispered and knew that she was close. Beetlejuice couldn't speak and just shook his head, he felt himself teetering on the edge himself, but she had to come first, she just had to.

"I can't believe you forgot your lunch Chloe." Lydia hissed as she opened up the front door. Layla had been so close, but it immediately fell away when she heard Lydia's voice and angry footsteps heading to the kitchen. She snapped their clothes back on and Beetlejuice snapped the silk away just a second before Lydia and Chloe walked through the archway.

"What's the matter with you two?" She asked.

"Nothing." He said and kept their eyes dead ahead, knowing full and well that they had both been so close to have it all washed away.

"I'm sorry Mom." Chloe said and Lydia just shook her head.

"We don't have time, just get your lunch and let's go." She said and pulled Chloe out when the little girl grabbed her paper sack.

"Bye." Chloe called, Beetlejuice and Layla just waved, not able to find their voices.

"Wanna call it a tie?" Layla asked when she looked at him, lust still heavy in her eyes. He just nodded and kept his eyes ahead. Damn Lydia for walking back in. He knew that he could've won that round, not by much, but still.

Layla kept her word for cooking and stayed in the kitchen the entire day while Beetlejuice lounged around on the sofa. There really wasn't much else to do since the kids didn't come back to the house until late in the afternoon. As much as he didn't want to admit it he missed them when they were gone. Jordan was always challenging him to new levels on the video game and Chloe had her crush on him which made him smile. It took Layla telling him before he saw it, even then not really, but he'd take her word on it. Riley always wanted to play games, especially cards now that he had taught them poker. The kid was pretty good too, he'd have to admit that. They all were the same, but different and he felt kinda like a dad to them. They never spoke of their father, just kept things in the here and now and Beetlejuice didn't know if that was a good thing or not.

Layla only walked out when the kids were home and it was safe. She didn't want to let Beetlejuice have an advantage over her and having her tied up definitely was an advantage. She really was serious about winning and she wanted him to see that part of her.

"What smells so good?" Jordan asked, his nose in the air and sniffing.

"Oh, Babes has been cookin' ever since you left. Made all sorts of shit in there." Beetlejuice said and winked at Layla. She smiled at him and nodded. When the kids ran into the kitchen to try some of her cooking she leaned over him.

"Round three is tonight." She whispered in his ear before she lightly bit it. His eyes crossed as he thought about what he was going to do to her. He had to win at least one since she was ahead, he couldn't let her get away with it all.

Layla walked up the stairs after the kids had gone to bed. She had wanted to talk to Lydia, but as soon as she came home from work she dashed into her bedroom, leaving everyone else out in the living room. It didn't seem to bother her children, but Layla was starting to wonder what she was up to. She opened up the door and didn't even have time to look up before Beetlejuice snapped his fingers and had her naked and tied to the bed.

"What the?" She asked and he just smiled.

"Had to do a sneak attack on ya Babes. You're just too good." He said and shook his head. She just smiled up at him and sighed.

"What are you going to do?"

"Ever heard of Chinese water torture?" He asked and she nodded. "Well this is BJ's water pleasure." He said and had a bowl of ice water in his hand. He sat down on a chair next to the bed and crossed one leg over the other. She raised an eyebrow and couldn't do a thing to stop him. He dipped his finger into the bowl and let the first drip of water fall right on her left breast, enjoying watching it peak up at the touch.

"This is so unfair." She whispered, but moaned as well.

"Life ain't fair Babes, just relax and enjoy." He said. He'd been thinking about it all day long and loved watching wiggle as each drop hit her in a different spot, but he made the most emphasis between her legs and loved watching the drops slip down, running along side her thighs. "Oh God Beej," She said and felt herself building up, more powerful with each drop that landed on her.

"Just do it Babes, don't hold back." He said and blew in between her legs and she was finished. She screamed high and loud and tried to lift her arms up to touch him, but they were restrained by the fabric. He smiled and groaned as he gently laid down on top of her, her legs parting for him, her hips grinding into his own.

"I need you right now." She said near desperate for his touch.

"You want it? You got it." He said and in an instant he was naked and slowly pushed his way inside her. She moaned against him wanting the fabric off of her, but he kept it on. He still wanted to be in control and he took his time as he moved with her.

"You win." She breathed when he had taken his own release and was still inside her.

"Looks to me like we're tied up. We both win?" He suggested and she nodded, closing her eyes. He laughed at her and kissed the tip of her nose. He would have given into her 'date' anyway. He wanted to see her all lit up like a Christmas tree and dressed to kill.


	26. Matchmakers

You guys really know how to put a girl squarely in her place I'll give you that. Two chapters, no reviews. (sadness). Okay, I'm a big girl, I can take it.

Anyway back to the story, cause you KNOW I'm not gonna let it die, it's just too much fun. It's mischief time and I love it, so I hope you do too.

As always Read, Enjoy and Review (pwetty pwease with sugar on top..Puppy dog face)

Lacey ;)

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Beetlejuice woke up before Layla did and that was something unusual. She always was an early riser. He looked down at her sleeping face and had to smile. She was so beautiful sleeping there, cuddled up next to him that he didn't want to disturb her. He slipped out of bed as quietly as possible and watched her hug his pillow and inhaled deeply, pulling the covers closer to her naked body. He reached for a robe and pair of flannel pants, making himself decent in case any of the kids were up. He walked down the stairs and saw Sloane sitting at the table reading the paper and drinking a cup of coffee, already dressed for the day. 

"Do you like, set your clothes out before you go to bed or somethin'?" Beetlejuice asked snapping a cup of coffee for himself. Sloane looked up from his newspaper and took another sip.

"Actually I do."

"God, you have GOT to get a life." Beetlejuice said rolling his eyes.

"What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that I've been dead for over six hundred years and I have more of a life than you do Bud."

"Excuse me?"

"Wow I have to spell things out for ya. Look, you wake up, you have your coffee, you read your paper, you go to work, you come home, you watch some TV, you lay out your clothes and you go to bed to do the same thing all over again. That's not living, that's bein' programmed." Beetlejuice said. Sloane looked at him and narrowed his gaze, but he couldn't say anything. Beetlejuice just described his entire life for the past twenty years or so, ever since he was seventeen and got his first job. He wasn't living, he was programmed.

"Dammit, why do you always have to be right?" He hissed and Beetlejuice just smiled.

"Cause I usually am, but I was pretty impressed with you screwing Lyds. That was crazy and great. You should do it again. I'm pretty sure she hasn't had a good fucking in a long time. Might take her a couple a times to loosen up."

"Yeah right, she won't even talk to me, let alone let me take her back to bed." Sloane said and had to smile. "It was pretty good though."

"Uh huh, well, how'd you do it the first time?"

"We were drunk."

"There ya go."

"What do you mean? I need to get her drunk again?" Sloane asked.

"No kidding Moron. Of course Lyds isn't gonna go peacefully into the sack. She's probably embarrassed as hell that she slept with her boss that she's livin' with along with her kids. You need to do whatever it takes and I'll help any way I can."

"But she already hates you," Sloane started.

"So what's a little more hate my way? Like I could give a shit." Beetlejuice said with a shrug. Sloane just nodded and processed everything that Beetlejuice had said. What would happen if he was able to get Lydia alone again and get her drunk? She would probably be really pissed off, but he could take things slower this time. He did jump the gun a little, but she certainly wasn't complaining. He had to smile at that and Beetlejuice started to laugh.

"What's so funny?" Sloane asked.

"You were just thinkin' about sex." Beetlejuice said and watched as Sloane flushed a dull red.

"How on earth would you know that?"

"I might be dead, but I'm still a guy. Every guy looks that way when he's thinkin' about sex."

"Oh." Sloane said and sighed. "How on earth can I get her drunk again?"

"You're her boss right?"

"Yeah, so?"

"So take her on a 'business trip', sort to speak."

"Won't she think that's a little unusual? I mean what type of business trip?"

"Jesus do I have to come up with everything?" Beetlejuice asked and rolled his eyes. He started to explain when Jordan walked in on them and he shut up.

"Hey Uncle Beej, hey Sloane." He said to them and smiled. Beetlejuice smiled back at him.

"Hey Kid, what's up?"

"Nothin' just gettin' some breakfast before Mom has a cow. She's so cranky since we had our weekend trip." Jordan said and grabbed a bowl. Beetlejuice snapped him his favorite cereal, Lucky Charms and some milk.

"Thanks Uncle Beej." He said and smiled.

"Don't mention it Kid, now go and play your video game. We're havin' an adult conversation here." He said and had to keep a smile to himself when he watched Jordan roll his eyes.

"I hate it when grown ups say that. What's so different about adult conversations than kid ones?" He complained. Beetlejuice laughed at him and shook his head.

"You're right Kid, you wanna know?" He asked and watched Sloane pale at the idea. Jordan nodded his head and leaned into Beetlejuice, his bowl of cereal in his hands.

"We're tryin' to figure out a way to get your mom happy again." He said simply. Jordan frowned at that and Beetlejuice could tell he was a little disappointed that the information he'd just been privileged to was a little more detailed. He started to open up his mouth, but Beetlejuice cut him off. "Go on and eat your breakfast before your mom gets down here. She'll be happy that you did it without bein' asked." He said, dismissing him. Jordan wanted to stay and listen, but Beetlejuice meant business and he huffed, but walked out the door.

"Kids, especially older ones, always want to know the details." Beetlejuice said and rolled his eyes.

"How would you know?"

"I had brother's once." He said getting on the defensive. Jordan reminded him of himself in a lot of ways. Always taking care of his younger sister and brother. He was the responsible one, while Chloe was the artistic one and Riley was the card. Actually all the kids had elements of Beetlejuice himself which made him laugh. The one person that Lydia truly didn't like and her kids acted like he did and that was before he had influences on them. Chloe was going to be the heartbreaker, a title he was known for and Riley was the con artist, another title he had the privilege of owning. Riley was already surpassing him at his poker face, the kid was good.

"Back to your plan." Sloane said interrupting his thoughts. Beetlejuice smiled at the guy. It looked like Sloane was smitten with little Lydia and wanted his advice on how to get her. Well, he was the guy to come to when it came to the fairer sex. He got Layla nice and tight in the sack and she certainly wasn't going to complain any time soon. The only noises she made in bed were screams and moans and they were all caused by him.

Layla woke up stretched, surprised to find herself alone in bed. She never slept this late, but yesterday had been a full one. She smiled to herself and got up out of bed, reaching for some clothes. She almost ran straight into Lydia's back as she walked out into the hallway.

"Why don't you watch where you're going?" Lydia snapped.

"That's it, we're talking." Layla said and pushed Lydia back into the bedroom.

"What are you doing?" She hissed at Layla.

"Sit." Layla said pointing to the chair.

"No."

"Fine, I'll make you." Layla said and she snapped her fingers and Lydia was thrown to the chair and strapped down.

"Let me up, I'll be late for work." Lydia said and narrowed her eyes. Layla just rolled hers and sat down on Lydia's bed.

"You won't be late for work. You live with your boss in case you haven't noticed. Now, why have you been acting like a bitch for the past couple of weeks? I thought it was good with Sloane in the sack, but ever since then you've been on major PMS." Layla said crossing her legs to look at Lydia. She considered the woman her friend and she was genuinely concerned about her behavior. Lydia looked at the ghost who sat on her bed and sighed.

"That's the problem." She said.

"What is?"

"It was good, really good, fantastic even and now I can't even look at him without thinking about it." Lydia said miserably. Layla laughed at her.

"Is that all? Boy you had me worried." She said relief clear in her voice.

"It isn't funny Layla. This is serious. I'm not even divorced from Jonathon and I'm having feelings about another man and not just another man, but my boss. This is horrible." Lydia cried out. Layla felt a little bad about laughing at her when she saw the misery in her friend's face. She released the ties that she used to hold her to the chair and hugged her.

"I'm sorry, you're right it's not funny. We have to figure out something."

"Like what?"

"Well I think you should explore this, I mean Sloane is a good guy I can't fault him for that. He likes your kids a lot and he likes you."

"What am I supposed to do?"

"Well what if you can get him alone for a weekend? Away from kids and us? Just the two of you." Layla suggested.

"Oh yeah, how am I supposed to do that? 'Say Sloane, you wanna go away for the weekend?' Yeah that will work." Lydia said and rolled her eyes.

"Actually it probably would, guys are dense, but I see your point. What about a trip to get some documents that were 'accidently' lost?" Layla said.

"That might actually work. We get documents all the time from different states. I could just say that we needed to pick them up personally because of confidentiality or something." Lydia said, the gears in her mind working.

"Perfect, Beej and I can watch the kids for you so you can have some private time." Layla said and smiled.

They walked down the stairs together and met Beetlejuice and Sloane that were in the living room with all three kids who were dressed and ready for school.

"You ready?" Lydia asked the kids and they just nodded at her, grabbing their things and giving Layla and Beetlejuice hugs before they all walked out the door.

"We'll talk later." Sloane said and winked. Layla caught it and raised an eyebrow, but Beetlejuice just smiled and nodded. When Lydia and Sloane walked out the door she turned to look at him.

"What was that about?" She asked, her eyebrow still high. He laughed and kissed the tip of her nose and reached around to grab her ass and hauled her up close. "Okay, what was that about and what's gotten into you?" She asked, his hands still cupped on her rear.

"Can't put anythin' past ya huh?"

"No way, I'm a sharp one, so dish." She said and put her arms around his neck.

"Sloane asked me advice on how to get Lyds back in the sack. She could use a good fucking." He said and it was Layla's turn to start laughing. "What's funny Babes?" He asked her. She looked at him, her eyes bright and shining.

"Lydia and I were just talking about the same thing. She wanted a way to get him back in the sack." She said and he joined her laughing.

"What a pair of matchmakers we are huh?"

"You got it." She said and winked at him.

"So let's match ourselves up, what do ya say?" He said and hauled her up so she would put her legs around his waist. She kissed his smiling lips and slid her tongue across his bottom lip.

"Lead the way." She said and held on as they made their way down to the floor, not bothering to take the stairs back up to the room.

"In the middle of the room?" She asked as he tugged at her pants and shirt.

"Be adventurous Babes." He said and took his robe off. She smiled up at him, her arms still around his neck and pulled him close to her.

"With you, there isn't a choice." She said and laughed when he leaned down to kiss her.


	27. Kink in the Chain

Okay so you know I NEVER do this, but I just got into such a groove that I just had to keep writing this story, so 2, count em' 2 chapters in one night. Crazy. Anyway it has been mentioned that there's been a lot of sex lately. I just have to say Beetlejuice is a horny old goat and Layla has come into her own and she's actually a lot like Beetlejuice. Besides all of that they can't leave the house and TV gets pretty damn boring after a while AND they're still in honeymoon period. So yeah it's gonna happen, besides all of that rated Romance M for a reason. Anyway this chapter is kind of foreshadowing more complicated stuff in the future, or at least that was my attempt.

Anyway I have decided that things are just too rosy for me so I've just GOT to throw a kink in the chain and I've neglected a few characters that I'm bringing back. Hope you enjoy and I hope you are surprised about what happens next ;)

Enjoy.

Lace

* * *

Sloane sat in his office and thought about different ways he could get Lydia to come along with him on a business trip. He wished that Beetlejuice was there so he could talk to him, he really did need his advice on this. He'd seen Layla's face lately and she seemed to be smiling all the time. He just wished he could get that too, even with Rowena he'd never seemed to be able to figure out how to keep a woman constantly pleased, Layla was something else entirely. He sighed and looked out the window in the late spring sky. 

When his phone rang he reached for it, not bothering to turn around and kept his eyes out on the other buildings that were right across from him, wondering what they were doing.

"Hello?" He asked.

"Sloane?" Sloane froze when he heard Rowena's voice on the other side of the line. She seemed to have a hint of desperation in her voice that only made him upset.

"What do you want Rowena?" He hissed at her in a low voice and got up to close his office door so Lydia wouldn't hear anything.

"I need to talk with you." Rowena said.

"I think we already talked enough Rowena." He said stiffly.

"We didn't talk at all. I just want to talk." She wailed and he couldn't stand it when she did that.

"All right fine Rowena. Meet me at one at the café." He hissed into his phone and clicked it off before she could respond. He knew that she would know the restaurant that he was talking about. It was the one place that they had always met at for lunch when they had lived in the city. He knew that he would have to compose himself before he met her, because if he didn't then he would spit in her face.

Rowena hung up the phone gently and took a deep breath. She had wanted to call Sloane for the past few months, but she'd never had the nerve, now she needed to talk to him and she was scared.

"Who'd you call?" Jack asked walking in the room.

"Huh? Oh I wanted to make an appointment to get my nails done." Rowena said lying cleanly to his face. Jack just nodded and turned to finish getting dressed. He hated having to meet clients somewhere other than the office, unlike his soon-to-be ex father-in-law. He had to smile at that. The Deetzes were something else and he was glad to be rid of them. He actually hadn't thought about his wife or kids since he kicked them out. He wondered briefly about how they were doing, but he didn't really care that much. He knew it sounded horrible, even to him, but that's the way he felt. The world would be a lot better if it didn't have children in it as far as he was concerned. No crying and screaming at restaurants or movie theaters, no pushy parents at the stores and no cartoons on the television. Yes, the world would be a lot better without children in it.

"I'll be back tonight." He called to Rowena. He liked having her around, just the two of them in a big and quiet house. It was nice.

"All right." Rowena called and waited to see his car drive down the road before she dashed up to get ready to meet Sloane. She had just enough time to put on her make up and get dressed before she had to meet him in the city and she didn't want Jack to find out about it.

Sloane waited at the café and sipped his ice water while he waited for Rowena. He should have known that she was going to be late, she always was, but he thought that since they were separated that she might change. So much for that theory he thought as she waltzed in twenty minutes late and spotted him. He just tapped his foot and waited for her to sit down.

"Sorry I'm late," She started.

"No you're not. You're always late, so what is so damned important that you needed to talk with me about?" He asked her. Rowena stared at the man she'd been married to in wonder. He seemed different, more impatient and passionate. She could see it in his eyes and she had to raise an eyebrow to it.

"I have to talk with you." She said simply.

"I figured that one out when you said it over the phone. Why didn't you just tell me when you had me on the phone? What is so important that we actually had to meet?"

"I, uh." She started, but didn't really know what to say. What could she say to him?

"Twenty minutes late then nothing when you do get here? I'll just have my lawyer talk to yours." He said and got up to walk away. Rowena had to shake herself out of her daze as she watched Sloane start to walk away from her.

"I'm pregnant." She called and watched him as he froze and turn to look at her.

"What?"

"You heard me." She said and hung her head. Sloane's head swam with everything she'd told him and he walked back to her and slowly sat down.

"I thought you said..."

"I know."

"And the doctors,"

"Told me I had a slim to nothing chance, but I wasn't going to get your hopes up. Like I said Sloane I never wanted children, but now I'm pregnant."

"So why did you call me? Aren't you living with Lydia's husband?"

"Jack? Yes, that's why I called you."

"I don't get it."

"Don't you see? He doesn't want children either and if I'm pregnant then I don't know what will happen."

"What do you want me to do about it?"

"I wanted to know what to do?"

"How the hell should I know."

"I don't know, I mean Jack was fun, but living with him is a different story. I," Rowena started and took a deep breath. "I want to come back."

"Excuse me?" He asked, his head was filled with so many things that he just didn't know what to say about any of it. He shook his head and looked out at the crowded streets.

"We can have our own little family. I mean I'm sure that I'll fall in love with it or whatever when I have it." Rowena said and Sloane turned to look at her, the indifference on her face was enough to disgust him.

"Fall in love with it? You should have to fall in love with 'it'. You should already be in love with 'him' or 'her'." He said and shook his head.

"What's the difference?" Rowena asked him. He looked at her and wondered how on earth he managed to fall in love with such a cold and calculating woman.

"Goodbye Rowena." He said and took off his wedding ring. He really didn't know why he had still worn it, out of habit he supposed, but he just handed it to her and felt the weight lifting off of his shoulder. He got up and walked away, putting his hands in his pockets and whistling. How could he get Lydia to go on a business trip with him? Say he needed her to organize his files that he took? Maybe retype some old notes he had around. He'd have to talk to Beetlejuice.

Layla sat on the bench at the grand piano that she had poofed when she changed the decor all those months ago. She thought about how Lydia could convince him that they both needed to head somewhere to pick up personal documents. What could be so confidential that it needed to be picked up? She had thought about it a thousand times and still couldn't think of anything. She sighed and looked at the keys, crisp white and black, never been touched.

"Do you even play that thing?" Beetlejuice asked with his mouth full of sandwich as he walked into the room. Layla turned and looked at him, smiling.

"Of course I do. I wouldn't have made one appear if I didn't." She said and smiled at him. He swallowed his turkey sandwich and smiled back at her.

"So play me somethin'." He said and she raised an eyebrow.

"Like what?"

"Dunno, what can you play?"

"Everything."

"Prove it hotshot." He said challenging her. He sat down in a chair across the room and waited. They hardly ever used it, the family room, if he had to put a label on it. Layla had filled it with all sorts of books and chairs and of course the large piano in the corner of the room. She smiled at him and placed her hands on the keys. Layla closed her eyes and began to play. Beetlejuice watched her purse her lips as she played the intro to the Beatles Let it Be and then she opened her mouth and sang. He just sat there in awe, sandwich forgotten as she sang clear and true, hitting the keys in perfect timing. She finished the song and opened her eyes to see him staring at her.

"What?" She asked and gave a small half smile.

"You have never been hotter than what you are right now." He said and pulled her in to kiss him. She giggled in his mouth and pulled away.

"Aunt Layla? Uncle Beej? We're home." Jordan called.

"So much for afternoon delight." He said and sighed when he heard all three kids walking around the living room.

"We always have that, morning and night as well. I love this honeymoon period." She whispered before the kids walked into the room.

"It's the best Babes." He said and winked at her.

"There you guys are." Jordan said.

"What are you doing?" Chloe asked right behind him.

"Your Aunt Layla was playing on the piano." Beetlejuice said.

"You can play?" Chloe asked excited.

"Sure."

"Play us something." Jordan asked.

"Like what?"

"Um, do you know Matchbox Twenty?" Chloe asked.

"I think I can figure it out." She said and began to play.

"This is boring. Can we play cards Uncle Beej?" Riley asked after listening to a little music. Beetlejuice just laughed at the boy and ruffled his hair.

"Sure Kid, get your deck and we'll play some poker."

"Can we play for money this time?" Riley asked.

"You got any?" Beetlejuice asked and watched as Riley patted his jean pockets and shook his head.

"Then nope, can't play for cash until you got some boy." He said and Riley rolled his eyes and went to get the deck of cards. Beetlejuice turned to see Layla playing and smiling at him as she sang and he gave her a wink.


	28. Planning

Ok, so did I surprise ya? Rowena's prego, can you believe it? I can. Anyone who says that they HATE kids, is gonna wind up pregnant, poetic justice and all. Anyway I think this site was all gunny today cause I wasn't getting emails when you had reviewed. I did respond to you, but I don't think you got them, so I'm sorry, I wasn't ignoring, I just couldn't get a hold of ya.

To Mnesomne's Tears: I did draw a pic of Layla, I'm working on another one. There's one of Layla herself, and two of her and BJ (cleaned up and not) I'm still working on those. I have to get a balance in between super clean BJ and regular BJ anyway. The best way is darkbutcute. deviantart. com . I put spaces in cause I think this deletes links. But there ya go. I've also got pictures of some of my other characters up there as well.

So yeah, enjoy and let me know what ya think.

Loves

* * *

Sloane walked in the house after Lydia dropped him off and tried to find Beetlejuice as quickly as possible. He needed his advice, especially with Rowena trying to get back into the picture. He spotted them all the family room of the house and had to pause. Surely he walked in on the wrong family. He had to stop at that thought, they weren't a family, but it sure looked like one. Beetlejuice as sitting in a chair with Riley playing a game of poker and Layla was sitting in the other corner reading a book to Chloe who was in her lap while Jordan was laying on the floor reading his own book with a headset connected to his mp3 player.

"I see your five and raise you ten." Beetlejuice said throwing a few more fake chips into the pile. He looked up to see Sloane standing in the doorway just staring at them. "What's up?" He asked shaking Sloane out of his daze. Layla looked up to see him and raised an eyebrow before she shook her head and continued with the story.

"What are you all doing in the family room?" He asked.

"Actually it's technically the formal parlor, but I was in here sitting at the piano and Beetlejuice walked in, then the kids came in and well, we all just sort of stayed here." Layla explained.

"He can find out about that later Aunt Layla, I want to find out what happens in the story." Chloe said tugging lightly on Layla's shirt collar. She smiled at Sloane and shrugged.

"Sorry, but duty calls." She said and returned to her spot. She had started to read the legend of Sleepy Hollow for herself, but when Chloe had asked her about it and she described the story, the girl just climbed up in her lap and asked her to read it to her.

"Uh Beej can I talk to you?" He asked.

"What?" Beetlejuice asked. "Oh yeah, sure thing. Okay Kid what do ya got?" He asked and Riley laid down a full house.

"Dammit." He said and threw down his cards. "I don't think we're ever gonna play with real cash Kid, you're just too good." He said smiling at Riley's huge grin.

"Beej?" Sloane asked again, desperate this time. Beetlejuice got up and winked at Riley.

"Can ya hold down the fort Babes?" He asked.

"Can do." She called, her nose still in the book. He smiled watching her, she was good with the kids.

"Where's Lyds?" Beetlejuice asked as they walked into the kitchen.

"She had to run to the store and I said I needed to go home so she just dropped me off. We need to talk."

"I can see that, you're startin' to sweat and you've said it twice now." Beetlejuice said. "What the hell happened today?"

"I got a call from Rowena."

"So what's the problem? You're divorcing her." He said with a shrug.

"She wants to come back."

"Do you want her back?"

"No."

"Again, what's the problem?"

"She's pregnant."

"I don't see how...what did you say?" Beetlejuice asked. He had been getting tired of the conversation until now.

"She's pregnant." Sloane repeated, misery in his voice.

"Whoa, is it yours?"

"Fuck no." He said and winced at his loose cursing. It was happening more and more now that he had grown accustomed to Beetlejuice's language.

"So, I don't get it. Why does she want to come back to you?" He asked.

"Damned if I know. I guess it's because Jack hates kids."

"Bastard." Beetlejuice said underneath his breath.

"I know, the kids are great. I guess she thought that if she was pregnant that I would want to get back together since I wanted a family so bad, but you know what? I don't want her back. She got what she deserved."

"How do you figure that?"

"I don't think she's happy."

"What makes you say that?"

"She came crawling back to me remember?"

"True." Beetlejuice couldn't argue with that. "Well I don't think there's really anything you can do about it. You told her that you don't want her back so that should be it." Beetlejuice said and shrugged. Sloane nodded, it was true, he couldn't do anything about it.

Lydia had to get out and think about what she could do without having a house full of people there with her. She wished that Layla could come outside of the house. She liked having someone to confide in, even if that someone was in love with Beetlejuice, it still counted. She wanted her advice on what she could do to get Sloane to decide that they needed a business trip and together. She also had to make sure that she sounded like she didn't want to go because it would be just too obvious is she did. She sighed and walked along the grocery store aisles. She didn't really need anything, all their food was just popped in by Beetlejuice and Layla, but she thought it was the best way to get all of her thoughts together. Walking mindlessly in a store can do that.

She still didn't feel like it was quite right to be trying to set up a date of sorts with Sloane. It really wasn't the fact that she was still married because she really didn't feel like she was anymore and she began to wonder just when her marriage did fall apart. It was long before Jonathon started having affairs, she knew that much. It was more the fact that Sloane was her boss at the moment and it was starting to feel like he would always be her boss. She was getting into a slump and was beginning to feel like she would never get her creativity back. She used to do so much photography and pictures that she would have to constantly bug her father to keep picking up supplies, but now? She was lucky if she even felt up to playing with her kids. She knew that they were having fun with Beetlejuice and Layla, but she was also beginning to feel like an outsider with them. She shook her head, she knew she was being ridiculous. It would take a while to figure out how to get Sloane alone. In the mean time she could spend more time with her kids and let them know that she was still their mother and knew how to have fun.

"Did you come up with anything?" Lydia asked when she walked into the house and saw Layla walking out of the parlor stretching her arms.

"What?" Layla asked and yawned. Chloe had refused to let her up, but she finally almost threw the little girl off of her. Her eyes were killing her and she was tired of reading. "Oh about Sloane?"

"Shh." Lydia hissed and grabbed Layla's arm hauling her up the stairs.

"Hi Mom." Jordan called walking out of the room. Lydia stopped and loosened her grip on Layla's arm and she yanked it away, rubbing it.

"Hi Sweetie." She said and smiled.

"Are you going to join us for dinner tonight or are you going to sleep early?" He asked her. She looked at him and her heart began to crumble. She hadn't had dinner with her children the past few days, just walking up to her room and closing the door away from them all.

"Of course I'll be there for dinner. After that how about I take you and your brother and sister out for some dessert?" She asked. It was a bride, but it worked and his eyes lit up as he went to go find Riley and Chloe to tell them. She grabbed Layla's arm again and hauled her the rest of the way.

"I can walk by myself thank you very much." Layla hissed and Lydia looked at her, letting go of her arm.

"Fine, your room then." She said. Layla just rolled her eyes and walked into her bedroom and laid down on the chaise lounge.

"What's on your mind?" Layla asked.

"Did you come up with anything?" She asked again, sitting down on the chair next to the lounge. She looked around the large room and realized that she'd never been in it before. It seemed double the size of hers, if not bigger and with the walls painted the dark color with white and black she would have thought that it would have looked smaller, but it was enormous.

"Nope, don't have anythin' for ya." Layla said and Lydia narrowed her eyes at her. Layla just winked at her and put her arms behind her head.

"Not funny." She said when Layla sounded like Beetlejuice.

"Really?" Layla frowned. "Damn, I thought it was." She said and Lydia only kept silent. Layla laughed and closed her eyes, stretching. "All right, I give. I don't know what to do yet. I have to have some more time to think about it." Layla said. Not to mention that she needed to talk to Beetlejuice about it. They had to come up with something that they could both tell Sloane and Lydia so it wouldn't be awkward with two different places and reasons.

"All right, he came back to the office kind of jumpy, but he wouldn't tell me what it was about." Lydia said and Layla just shrugged, her eyes still closed.

"Some business deal that probably went a little gunny on him, that's probably it." She said and Lydia nodded. If it was business then he wouldn't have minded telling her, but after he came back from lunch he went into his office and slammed the door and every time she went to give something to him he looked as if he'd seen a ghost. One that he didn't want to see anyway. "So what did you do today?" Lydia asked. "Layla?" She asked after Layla didn't answer her. She looked over and saw that Layla had fallen asleep, her arms still behind her head which had fallen to the side. She smiled and shook her head. Sleeping she looked like she was barely eighteen, of course, awake she looked that way, but sleeping she looked even younger.

Lydia walked downstairs and into the kitchen where Beetlejuice and Sloane were sitting with Jordan, Chloe and Riley. They had to stop talking when the kids came in and had started up another game of poker.

"Where's my Babes?" Beetlejuice asked when he saw Lydia walk in.

"She fell asleep in your bedroom." Lydia said. Beetlejuice just chuckled and shook his head.

"Musta needed a cat nap." He said and got up. "Wanna take over my hand?" He asked and handed Lydia the cards. "It's a winner." He whispered into her ear. She felt the iciness of his breath and shivered before she looked down at the hand. He was right, he held a straight flush, in spades no less.

Beetlejuice walked up to his room and saw Layla completely conked out on the lounge and had to smile at her. He walked over to her and lifted her up into his arms. She blinked her eyes open and tried to smile, but it turned into a yawn.

"Tired Babes?" He asked and walked over to the bed. She just gave him a sleepy smile and nodded. "Bed's a lot more comfortable." He said and yawned himself. Damn yawns were contagious.

"Wanna join me?" She asked. "For a nap." She added quickly, he was Beetlejuice after all. He smiled and just climbed in next to her, pulling her up to him. He had thought about taking advantage of her sleepy nature and the fact that they were both in bed, but two seconds later they were both sound to sleep.


	29. The Date

Phew Long Chapter, but a good one. Okay, so there REALLY was a point to Chapter 25 Games, contrary to what some people might have thought (ya know I love ya all, but ya gotta trust me on things when it involves my own story). Yeah it was fun and a blast to write, BUT it wasn't JUST about sex. There was a wager involved and this is the result of that. Okay so I hope you enjoy and let me know what ya think!

Lace

* * *

"Do you have any ideas?" Layla asked Beetlejuice after they had woken up from their nap. He just shook his head and stared at the bedroom ceiling. 

"I have no idea Babes, I wish they could just get together like normal people. I mean ghosts having to set you up? That's pretty pathetic." He said and shook his head. Layla laughed at him and sighed.

"So Rowena really is pregnant?" She asked. Beetlejuice had told her what Sloane had said and Layla had been speechless for a full minute.

"According to Sloane she is. She might be just saying that to get back with him though. Who knows? He did mention that she wanted to come back to hiim. Maybe she thought if he found out that she really was pregnant he would take her back? I wouldn't put anything past that woman." He said. Layla nodded, she hadn't thought about it, but if Rowena was that miserable with Jack she'd have the gumption to do anything. She'd proven that with Sloane. Telling him that she wanted children when she clearly didn't, but why change now? Was she that desperate to be with a man?

"It's all so complicated Beej, I don't know." She said and shook her head. "Why can't they just be like us?"

"We're special Babes. Not a lot of people can have what we do." He said.

"And what would that be exactly?" She asked and held her breath to see if he said the answer she wanted to hear. He turned to her and smiled.

"We have fun Babes, no worries, no waiting and no disappointment." He said and Layla felt her heart break a little more. She sighed and nodded, giving him a little smile.

"You're right, not a lot of people have that." She said. _Including us_, she added silently to herself. She wanted so desperately for him to say those words to her. I love you. She wanted to say them back to him, but she wouldn't. Not now anyway after he said that they were just having fun. She couldn't argue with it, she was having fun, but she wanted so much more. Things she'd never been able to have before, she wanted them with him and she'd have to wait for them. Maybe forever, but she hoped that she wouldn't.

"I got it." Beetlejuice said snapping Layla out of her thoughts.

"What?"

"How to get those two together." He said jumping off of the bed to pace the room.

"Make up a fake conference."

"How are we going to do that?" Layla asked sitting up.

"Easy, we'll put it out that there's a conference in some town, Boston sounds good and Sloane will say that Lydia needs to come with him."

"Why would he say that?"

"Let me think." He said and began to pace the room again. Layla sat and watched him as he walked back and forth thinking furiously.

"What if he has a bunch of fake appointments while he's there and she needs to organize them for him, so he needs her there." He said. Layla looked at him. It could work. She could have Lydia hand him the letter that they made up and Beetlejuice could tell Sloane that he got the information from a phone call. Both of them thinking that the other doesn't know.

"I think you just came up with a plan." She said and smiled. He smiled at her and gave her a kiss.

"I had inspiration." He said and winked. She smiled and they agreed that they would tell Sloane and Lydia in private the next day.

"Are you sure this will work?" Lydia asked when Layla handed her the letter that she and Beetlejuice had composed.

"I'm pretty sure it will." Layla said. She wasn't about to mention that Sloane was getting the same information. "Everything is set for next week, so you have some time to figure out what is going to happen. Wouldn't want to make it too sudden." Layla explained and Lydia just nodded at her.

"Okay so here's the deal." Beetlejuice said and leaned in to Sloane and looked around Sloane's room. "God this place is pitiful." He said. Sloane still hadn't boughten himself a new bed and was sleeping on the futon that Layla had left him along with the lime green walls and track lighting. Beetlejuice snapped his fingers and the walls painted themselves a deep emerald green while a massive four poster bed painted black appeared where the futon had been. "Much better, so ya..." He said, but Sloane was looking around at everything that appeared, his mouth hanging open.

Beetlejuice snapped his fingers and waved in front of Sloane's face to get his attention back to the task at hand.

"Hey, it's magic remember? You've only been living with it for the past few months. Damn, you should be used to it by now." Beetlejuice said rolling his eyes.

"Yeah, but I didn't know you could decorate as well as Layla can."

"Do you see any fuckin' pictures and paintings 'round here? Desks and shit? Nah, this shit is plain and simple, bed to fuck, well in your case sleep, unless you can stop gawking and a better color on the walls. Green is great, but lime green better only appear on a lime and in a bottle of beer." Beetlejuice said. Sloane snapped himself back and listened.

"Okay so what's the plan?"

"You're gonna get a so called phone call and it's going to be about a conference in Boston. You'll need Lyds there to keep meetings in line." Beetlejuice said.

"Meetings, but I don't know..." Sloane started and Beetlejuice rolled his eyes.

"God your dense, listen quick thinkin' with your brain and start thinkin' with your cock. This is a way to get Lyds to go with you. After that you have to deal with it, whatever it takes to get her a little hammered. Give her some of that fruity shit that get's you loopier than a squirrel in no time or somethin'. She'll thank you when you're through." Beetlejuice said.

"If you're sure..."

"Sure I'm sure." Beetlejuice said, he just didn't mention the part that Lydia was getting the exact same plan from Layla. "Now I if ya don't mind I gotta cook somethin' special for my own Babes for tonight." He said and left.

"Do you want us to leave?" Sloane asked again, but Beetlejuice just shook his head.

"Nah, Lyds would raise an eyebrow to that don't ya think? Besides this is kind a surprise for Layla. I've been thinkin' about it ever since our...game." Beetlejuice said.

"What game?" Sloane asked, raising an eyebrow, but Beetlejuice just laughed and shook his head.

"Get Lyds in the sack first, then I'll tell ya all my little dirty secrets for fun." He said and walked out the door, whistling. He wanted Layla to be really and truly shocked by him and the thought made him smile and almost feel warm. He snapped his fingers and a large white box appeared in the middle of his and Layla's bed, he didn't even have to be in the room to know what it was.

Layla walked into her room after talking with Lydia and stood for a minute looking at the box that appeared in the middle of her bed. She raised an eyebrow and carefully walked over to it. There was a note scribbled down. _Wear me tonight. _It said and Layla smiled. She lifted the lid and pulled out a long, emerald green ball gown. It was sleeveless, strapping across her bust and flaring out into a simple skirt. It was beautiful and Beetlejuice picked it out for her which made her smile even broader, but she wondered what he was up to. She shrugged and started to climb out of her clothes, if she was going to dress up, then she was going to dress up right. She headed into the shower to start getting ready, for what? She didn't exactly know, but that was half the fun.

Beetlejuice avoided Layla and the bedroom knowing full and well that she was in there and watched the sun go down in the attic. He kinda missed this old place, the place where he watched Layla over all the years, met her, took her virginity. All in the same room and he had to smile at all of it. She was somethin' else that was for sure and he loved it. He wanted it to be pitch black before he came to her for their date. He had to smile at it, the thought of a date with Layla or any other chick was beyond absurd, but he had to admit that he was looking forward to it as well. He hoped she liked the dress she picked out.

Layla looked at herself in the mirror and arranged her last curl. She had swept her hair up, as was her custom, but instead of using regular bobby pins she used ones with tiny rhinestones on the end to make her deep hair sparkle and shimmer. Her eyes were dusted with a light gold near her brows and increasing into an antiqued gold near her eyes, making the purple in her eyes shine out even more. She also dusted her pale skin with a powder that had a golden shimmer to it so it glowed as if it were still alive. Her lips were painted with her favorite color, a deep wine. She held her breath, excited when there was a knock on the door. She got up to answer and her mouth fell open.

Beetlejuice stood in the door wearing a black and white pinstriped suit, not the striped suit that he loved, but it was a small strip of white that ran down against the black, his shirt the color of her lipstick.

"You look gorgeous." He said and handed her a dark red rose. Layla took it, but she was still staring at him.

"You look wonderful too Beej, I never knew." She said and swallowed. It was the most handsome she'd ever seen him look and she just couldn't get over it.

"That green does wonders for your hair and eyes, brings em' out." He said and winked at her and held out a scarf.

"What's this for?" She asked. He just shook his head and started to put it around her eyes.

"Wait a minute." She called.

"Don't worry Babes, I won't ruin your makeup, it is pretty cool though. I've never seen you wear gold before, I like it." He said. She just smiled and sighed, allowing him to blindfold her.

"A surprise huh?" She asked and held out her hand.

"It wouldn't be fun if it wasn't." He said and took her hand, lacing his fingers with hers and stroked her palm with his thumb. "Get ready."

"How surprising could it be? I can't leave the house." She said, but he just smiled and said nothing. They started for the stairs, but instead of going down they were going up. He was taking her to the attic? That seemed strange, but it was his date and he planned it. Layla thought as she slowly climbed each stair, her heels making her feel even more unbalanced and she had to grip hard on his arm to keep herself from falling.

When they go to the attic Beetlejuice finally let her take her blindfold off and when she looked around, tears sprung to her eyes. He had taken the entire attic apart so the only part that was left was the floor. Everything else was open to the world and she was outside for the first time in over a hundred years, feeling the cool night air on her skin. He snapped his fingers and lit a hundred candles that floated in the air all around them. In the center of the floor there was a glass table with two chairs and roses in a glass vase in the middle.

"What do ya think?" He asked, but Layla could only shake her head, feeling the lump in her throat. He pulled her into to him and kissed her ear. "It's the most romantic I could do for ya. Good enough?" He whispered in her ear and she lost it. She bursted into tears as she looked around at all the flickering candles. Beetlejuice felt his whole world crumble down when she started crying, he thought she would have loved it, but crying? Damn where in the hell did he go wrong?

"It is the most..." Layla started and had to swallow the lump down before she continued. "The most romantic, wonderful and thoughtful thing anyone has ever done for me." She said.

"Really?" He asked, his hopes back up. She looked at him, her purple eyes boring into his and smiled.

"Really." She whispered. "Beej, I haven't been outside in so long, I forgot how beautiful it was. Look at the sky, the stars and the moon. I can almost feel them and it's wonderful." She said looking up and watching the inky black sky dotted with bright white stars and planets.

"Only the best for my Babes." He said and took her hand, lifting it up to kiss her palm. She turned to him and smiled at the intimate touch. He led her to the table and sat her down before he sat himself down. Layla just couldn't get over how polite he was being, he really was being a gentleman and she found that she liked this side of him, a lot.

"Well, what should we do? I've never really been on a date before." He said. He knew he was going to score tonight and big time from the look in her eyes. He had to smile to himself, this romantic shit just might be worth the trouble.

"I don't know really. I mean you already know everything about me and I know about you." Layla said. Beetlejuice smiled. She was right, no woman ever knew as much as he told her and he kinda liked having her know it.

"So what do ya wanna do when you're outta here?" He asked her. She looked at him and cocked her head to the side, one long curl falling to rest on her bare shoulder.

"I'm not entirely sure. What happens when you're released from a haunting?" She asked.

"Well for a good girl like you, you'll be able to go around the living and stay in the afterlife. Most ghosts I know just stay in the afterlife." He said with a shrug.

"So how come you want out so badly?"

"It's fuckin' boring that's why. You settle into a fuckin' routine and do nothin'. Scarin' people is a lot more fun."

"You haven't scared anyone in months though. In fact, you have been living with children and have been playing with them. They even call you their uncle." Layla pointed out. Beetlejuice frowned at that. It was true, he couldn't deny it. He hadn't haunted and scared in a long time and he hadn't even missed it. It hadn't even dawned on him until she said it.

"You're right Babes, but it can't go on like that forever. I mean Lyds kids are cool, but eventually they get bored and want to do their own thing. You're back right where you started."

"Why did you chose Lydia, you said she was an opportunity, but there must have been something else." She said.

"Why? Jealous?" He asked and smiled at her.

"Of course, but I'm interested as well." She shot back and he was taken aback by her honesty.

"She was kinda cute, in kinda a dark sense. She's lightened up a lot now. Back then it was all black and gothic, nothin' else."

"I'm sure she changed quite a bit when she met Jack." Layla said and Beetlejuice nodded.

"She musta cause her kids are like, normal. Not one of them likes that kind of weird stuff that she did."

"I wouldn't say that. Chloe was riveted when I read her Sleepy Hallow and Jordan likes all the witchcraft and the like." Layla said with a shrug.

"True, maybe they do, just a watered down version I guess." He said and she smiled at him.

"Do you wish it would have happened, getting married to Lydia?" Layla asked and tried to sound as casual as possible. Beetlejuice had to sit back and think at the loaded question. Layla was, above all, a woman and se was a woman who knew what she was doing at all times.

"You have no shame do ya Babes?"

"None whatsoever." She said with a smile.

"Do I wish I'd married Lyds? Sure I would have liked to be roaming around all footloose and fancy free, but I told ya already. I didn't love her. My heart didn't break without her." He said.

"Have you ever loved anyone?"

"Not that I know of. Not really sure if I can." He said, serious enough for her to have to look down for a brief moment and compose her face. She couldn't let him know how much that little statement hurt her. It was too good of a night. "Besides all that Babes, I wouldn't have meet you and we have fun don't we?" He asked. She lifted her head to look at him, but even in the candlelight he could see that the shine in them was gone.

"Sure we do Beej, we have a lot of fun." She said and gave him a small smile.

"I say somethin'?" He asked. She just shook her head and he sighed. Of course he had, but he didn't know what. He got up from the table and she just looked at him, a mixture of confusion and wariness in her eyes.

"Can I have this dance?" He asked and held out his hand. It was about time to get this date back on the right track. Chicks loved to dance and the fire lit back up in her eyes. He snapped his fingers and soft music came on, light and slow. Layla smiled and took his hand and he twirled her around.

Layla giggled and put her arm on his shoulder while he placed his around her waist.

"I didn't know you could waltz." She said looking up into his eyes.

"There's a lot of things you still don't know about me Babes." He said.

"Yeah? Such as?" She asked and raised an eyebrow.

"Well, you didn't know I was such a romantic."

"True, you did shock me, what else?"

"I can play the piano too."

"Oh really?"

"Yup."

"What do you play?"

"The classics of course."

"Such as?"

"Little Beethoven, little Bach." He said nonchalantly.

"Really? Isn't that a bit complicated for you?"

"Shit no, who do you think scared ol' Luddy so bad he turned out such great shit." He said and smiled when Layla threw back her head, her laugh ringing out.

"Show me." She said and he smiled at her.

Beetlejuice sat down at the piano in the formal parlor. Layla leaned on the side, challenge firing in her eyes. It had been centuries since he'd actually sat at a piano, but he figured he could figure his way through it. He began to play and slowly it all came back to him as he played.

Layla had to admit that she was impressed. The whole night she was impressed at him, romance and candlelight. Now dancing and music? It was so much and from a ghost who prided himself on being the sleaziest of them all. She just shook her head as it swam with everything that had happened.

"Wassamatter Babes?" He asked. Layla looked at him, the ghost she loved and smiled.

"Come on." She said and held out her hand.

"Where we goin'?" He asked taking the hand she offered.

"The bedroom." She said and pulled him in to kiss him, hard and powerful.

"My favorite place." He said and allowed himself to be led up the staircase.

Layla had to do something she'd never done before, show him just how much she loved him and appreciated what he had done for her. It couldn't be just sex, it had to be more. She pulled him up and kissed him as she guided him to the bed and sat him down.

"Whatcha doin'?" He asked and she just smiled, saying nothing.

Layla turned her back to him and reached around, grabbing her zipper and slowly pulling it back down. Beetlejuice just watched her as she undressed for him, slow and agonizingly wonderful. She let the dress fall to her waist, her back fully exposed except for a black bra that she was wearing. She let the rest of the dress slide down her legs until she was wearing nothing but a black lace bra, matching underwear and garter belt and her heels. When she turned to him he sucked in his breath and she smiled.

Layla slowly strutted towards him, there wasn't any other way to walk in heels and pulled his legs apart sliding down him. He tried to get her bra off, but she just pulled away.

"You're mean Babes." He said and she just kept smiling, not saying a word. She began to unbutton his shirt, feeling his skin after every button was undone and kissing the skin exposed. He had to admit that he was a little shocked, but he was enjoying every second of what she was doing to him. After she had his shirt fully unbuttoned she pulled it apart, but not all the way off and kissed a trail down to his pants, slowly and gently before she licked her way back up to his neck and around to his ear. He put his arms around her waist and began to massage her soft skin. She looked at him and he saw a softness in her eyes, a loving look that he wanted to ignore, but it was there. She loved him, he could see it in her eyes, she wouldn't have done anything remotely close to this if she hadn't. She wouldn't say it and he didn't want her to, not now anyway. Love meant something he didn't want to deal with, right now he just wanted her and that was enough for him.

"Babes, maybe we should..." He started, but was stopped when she kissed him. She heard the uncertainty in his voice and didn't want to think about it right now, she just wanted to be the one in control. Have the real control that he had taken away from her. She slowly unbuckled his pants and felt him jerk slightly at her touch. She just smiled and slid her hand under his pants reaching down to his thigh and pushed him down so she was on top of him. She lifted his arms above his head with her own and laced her fingers with his, reaching down to kiss him. He wanted so badly to feel her breasts on his skin, but she still had her bra on and she wouldn't let him reach it. She got off of him just for a split second to slowly slide her panties off before she climbed back on him, taking him deep in her.

He reached around her and held onto her waist as he went deeper. She began to move, slowly, there wasn't a rush and she didn't want there to be one. She just kept moving, her lips burning a trail on his neck, jaw and face. He closed his eyes and let her ride him how she wanted. He moaned and she smiled. He pressed his fingers into her hips and she moaned with him. She began to move faster, her senses heightened just like they always did and she threw her head back. He held on for dear life as she began to pant and scream. It was all so much that she couldn't take it anymore.

"I love you." She yelled out and collapsed on top of him.


	30. Nothing

This hurt, I'll admit it truly and fully and I have more sympathy with Layla than probaby ever, but I had to do it. I really did. I was going to make this chapter longer, but as I was looking through it, I really wanted this chapter to stand alone and by itself. I hope you enjoy reading this and I hope you feel for her as much as I do.

Love,

Lacey

* * *

It was a full two seconds before Layla had realized what she'd said. She didn't mean to say it, she hadn't wanted to and now the words hung in the air. He couldn't help himself and roared with her still on top of him. She took his pleasure within her, but her own had died a quick and painful death. She felt ashamed and scared about what would happen now. She'd only had control for such a small amount of time before she had blown it. She climbed off of him and sat on the bed, pulling her knees up to her chest.

Beetlejuice looked at her, the ghost, the woman. She loved him, she'd said it and now she looked like a scared, little girl. All of the passion gone out of her. No, not just passion, but the light that she normally had was gone out too, extinguished from her eyes. He didn't want to deal with feelings, he didn't want to hear about them.

"Babes, that was incredible. You should do that more often." He said trying to lighten the mood up. She just looked at him as he blatantly ignored what she'd said.

"Yeah, sure." She said, her voice monotone.

"Aw come on Babes, let's not have the night ruined." He said and she just looking at him. The night ruined because she said she loved him? It was too much for her and she felt her throat closing up and the tears springing in her eyes. She climbed off of the bed, pulling the sheets with her and wrapped them around as she made her way into the bathroom, her heels clicking underneath the sheets.

"Dammit." He yelled to himself. Why did she have to go and do that? It had been so wonderfully uncomplicated until now. He zipped up his pants and went to open up the door, but she had locked it and refused to come out. He didn't even bother with magic, he was too angry to remember it and he banged on the door instead. "Come out Layla, it's not that big of a deal." He called. Layla put her hands over her ears and slid down the door frame, the sheet tangled up around her. She shook her head and felt the tears coming for the second time that night. This time it wasn't because she was happy and shocked, but hurt. More than she could ever imagine she could feel. She couldn't take it and let the tears come, rolling down her face as she put her hands over her mouth and sobbed, trying to catch the sounds that escaped.

Beetlejuice heard her muffled cries felt panic rising up in him. He'd made her cry, dammit. He wanted to kick himself.

"It's not that I don't like ya Layla, it's just..." He started and ran his hand through his hair. What could he say to a woman who just confessed her love? He didn't know, but he had to say something to her. He heard her sob a little harder, her cries laced with so much pain, a deep agony really and he winced at it. Why did she have to do this to him? Why? "Fuck Layla, that's not fair. Come on and open the door and we'll talk about it." He said, trying to reason with her.

"Go away and leave me alone." She cried, her voice cracking with the torment that twisted inside her. He had rejected her, completely and fully and she couldn't bear it. She wanted the floor to open up and swallow her so she'd never have to feel again. She felt herself as she snapped and the wall that Beetlejuice had broken down over the past few months built itself again with lightening speed. She felt herself shutting down as the tears softened. Beetlejuice had his ear against the door, trying to hear what she was doing inside. When he didn't hear anything he felt panic shiver up him.

"Layla?" He asked, his ear still pressed against the door. Layla felt her cheeks stiffen up as the tears began to dry and she felt nothing. She wasn't angry, she wasn't sad, she was nothing.

"Go away." She whispered, just loud enough for him to hear. Beetlejuice felt himself growing angry with her. She didn't really expect him to announce his love for her as well did she? She couldn't have, no, it was just the heat of the moment and now she was pissed at herself for sayin' somethin' stupid.

"Come on Layla, it's not funny anymore." He said. Layla just kept her head against the doorframe and closed her eyes, block off everything that she had.

"I said go away, please do that." She said, her voice neutral and dead.

"FINE." He yelled and stormed away from the door, walking out and slamming the bedroom door behind him. Layla kept her eyes closed long after he had gone.

Sloane opened up the door of his bedroom to see Beetlejuice pacing back and force in the hallway, shirtless and shoeless and beyond angry.

"What in the hell is wrong?" He whispered. Beetlejuice looked up to see Sloane and narrowed his gaze.

"Goddamn woman, they can all rot off as far as I'm concerned." He said and began to pace again. Lydia opened the door when she heard a door slam and looked at Sloane and Beetlejuice.

"What is the matter?" She hissed. "You'll wake up the kids."

"Layla told me she loves me." He said. Lydia's eyes opened wide, all sleep gone from them.

"What did you say?" Sloane asked him. Beetlejuice looked up as the anger started to fade away.

"I didn't say anything." He said and heard Lydia gasp. She marched up to him and slapped him across the face. "Ow, what the fuck was that for?" He hissed at her.

"You are such an asshole." She hissed and moved past him and into his bedroom, slamming the door.

"What the fuck was that about?" He asked Sloane. Sloane just shook his head and put his arm around Beetlejuice's bare shoulders.

"You, my friend, need to get drunk."

"Best suggestion all night." He said and they headed into the kitchen, Beetlejuice making two fifths of whiskey appear.

"Layla, are you all right? It's Lydia." Lydia called knocking softly on the door. Layla opened up her eyes, but she didn't want to talk with anyone at the moment.

"I'm fine... just tired." Layla said.

"Come on and open up the door." Lydia said, a little more forcefully. Layla sighed and got up from the hard floor and opened up the door. "I heard what happened."

"You were right." Layla said and walked out. Lydia had never seen Layla so calm before and it was unsettling. "Just a doll."

"No, I was wrong Layla, you're not just a doll." Lydia started but Layla held up her hand to silence her.

"Just a doll, cold and lifeless with nothing to love. A plaything for a while, like a child's toy. Sooner or later the child is going to get tired of the toy and toss it away. I was just tossed." Layla said, her voice flat and emotionless. Lydia could only shake her head, tears coming her own eyes as she heard her friends utter defeat in her voice.

"You weren't tossed away."

"Yes I was, I said 'I love you' and I got nothing back. Nothing, I knew better. I shouldn't have let it happen."

"He didn't realize..."

"Yes he did. He never loved me and I doubt he ever will." Her voice was flat and emotionless and it killed Lydia to hear it.

"Layla you're just upset because..." Lydia tried to explain, but Layla kept interrupting her.

"No, I'm not upset. I'm not...anything." She said and walked over to the window, wrapping the sheet closer to her. The sun was starting to rise and the night that she was Cinderella was really and truly over. "It was just a tiny dream I had, something that kept me feeling alive. It's morning and dreams are only for the night, the night is gone." Layla said and dismissed Lydia without even turning to her. Lydia wanted to shake Layla out of this monotone state, but she doubted she could. If people could die from emotions alone, then Layla had just died all over again.


	31. Cold and Hot

Man that last chapter was a real heartbreaker. I'm glad to see that I made it realistic enough that you believed it though. I tried to think of myself in the same situation and how I would react. That's what I came up with. Anyway I'm trying to make my chapters a lot longer so I don't end up with a 100 chapters by the time I'm done. No joke, so this chapter is really like 2 in one. Yay for the longer chapters.

I hope you enjoy and let me know what you think.

Loves as always,

Lace

* * *

Beetlejuice poured himself another shot and swallowed it in one gulp. They'd already finished half of one of the fifth and he was determined to get as sloppy ass drunk as he could.

"Why do women always have to complicate shit?" He asked, his words slurring. "We had a good thing goin', then she had to go and blow it." He said.

"I dunno." Sloane said ready to fall asleep right there at the table. He was already bleary eyed when Lydia came marching down the stairs and into the kitchen, coming up to slap Beetlejuice across the face again.

"Will you fuckin' stop that? It fuckin' hurts." He asked rubbing his cheek and looking at her. Lydia was so made she couldn't even speak for a few seconds as she sat there and watched him get himself drunk.

"You are the most...asshole." She said not able to come up with another word.

"Yeah, that's been established Lyds, what now? Layla go cryin' all over ya?" He asked.

"No, she's not crying. She's upstairs just...numb. She said that she's just a doll that was thrown away. She thinks that she's not worthy of being loved by you, you asshole." She spat out and had the strong urge to slap him again, but had to refrain herself.

"What are you talkin' about?" He asked looking at her through bloodshot eyes.

"She doesn't feel anything, she just shut herself down. You made her shut herself down."

"I didn't do anything. She's the one who said she loved me. I didn't ask for it."

"You didn't have to, by not saying anything you gave her your answer. God you must be the stupidest ghost in the entire fucking world." Lydia spat out, ignoring the looks both Sloane and Beetlejuice gave her when she cussed at them.

"Okay, so what do you mean about shut down?" Beetlejuice asked looking at Lydia.

"God, okay fine. Remember when I told her that she was just a doll, pretty and fun to play with." Lydia said.

"Vaguely." Beetlejuice said.

"Yeah well, she thinks that now. All because I told her that so long ago. God, you're a prick." She said and stormed away. Sloane just looked down at his empty shot glass before he looked back at Beetlejuice.

"Well, at least she didn't call you an asshole again." He said. Beetlejuice wanted to laugh, but it came out as a groan.

"I should probably go talk to Layla. She seems pretty upset by the whole thing." He said and got up from the table. He was just drunk enough to talk to her without losing his temper and maybe get her to come around. She was usually pretty understanding, he liked that about her. Understanding little thing that she was. He smiled a little as he moved from side to side, the floor coming in and out in his drunken state. Sloane watched him through heavy lids as he tried to walk out then before Sloane could blink he vanished.

"What the fuck was that?" He asked and staggered out into the living room looking around. Beetlejuice appeared in the television.

"Yo Sloane, I hope you're here." He said looking around.

"Ya I'm here." He slurred looking at the television. "You're on TV." He said and laughed.

"Well I can't see ya if ya are. Listen I was just called for another job. Happens, anyway I'll be back, hopefully as soon as I can. Tell Layla that I'll be back." He said. Beetlejuice was still drunk, but being called for a job sobered him up quite a bit and fast.

"Okey dokey." Sloane said and gave the television a salute before he fell on the couch and passed out.

Layla looked around the room and shook her head. She couldn't stay there, too many memories. She walked out and thought about walking up to the attic, but there were even more memories up there. She began to walk downstairs and saw Sloane asleep on the couch and avoided him.

"Hi Aunt Layla." Chloe said walking out from the kitchen.

"Hello." She said in a monotone voice." She slipped into the formal parlor and closed the door behind her.

"What's the matter with Aunt Layla?" Chloe asked when her mother came down a few minutes later.

"Why?" Lydia asked.

"She just said hello and walked into the parlor, closing the door. She usually gives me a hug or something and fixes me some breakfast." Chloe said.

"Oh well, Layla and Beej had a little fight last night." Lydia said.

"Well where's Uncle Beej?"

"What do you mean?"

"I haven't seen him." Chloe said. "The only person who's been down here is Sloane and he's sleeping." Lydia looked over at the couch to see Sloane still passed out.

"Why don't you go upstairs and see if your brothers are ready to go to school." Lydia said. Chloe nodded at her mother and headed up the stairs to tell Jordan and Riley about what she heard.

Lydia waited until Chloe was up the stairs before she started to push Sloane's shoulder and shake him awake.

"What the hell?" He asked and opened his eyes. He immediately closed them after the light nearly blinded him. He had a hangover and felt like he was going to die.

"What in the hell are you doing in my room?" He asked, keeping his eyes tightly shut.

"I'm not. You're in the living room." Lydia said and sat down on the couch after he pushed himself up. "What happened and where is BJ?" She asked.

"Huh? Oh I remember something, hold on a minute." Sloane said and forced himself to think. "I think he said something about a job? Yeah, that's it." He said and tried to open one eye, but couldn't make it. The light was so intense.

"What job?"

"I don't know he just vanished, can you get me some aspirin or something? My head is killing me."

"Serves you right. I'm heading into the office, you better go back to bed and sleep off your hangover. I'll cancel your appointments and be back early." Lydia said and got up. Sloane just slumped back down and pulled one of the throw pillows over his face.

"Whatever." He mumbled. Lydia walked over and knocked gently on the parlor door before she walked in.

"Are you okay?" She asked quietly when she saw Layla sitting in one of the chairs, staring off into nothing in particular.

"I'm fine." Layla said in her monotone voice.

"No, you're not. Listen, I guess Beetlejuice was called for another job. I don't know if he's going to be back or not, but I thought you should know." Lydia explained. Layla turned to look at her and Lydia saw how dull Layla's eyes were, glassed over with nothing behind them, not emotion that she could see.

"It's probably better that way." She said and turned back to stare off into nothing. Lydia sighed and hoped that everything would work itself out. She wanted her friend back, the vivacious young woman who made her laugh. Layla didn't deserve this kind of life, she was sweet and gentle and should have what she wanted. Even if it was Beetlejuice.

Beetlejuice looked at the scared young ghost that had called him. She couldn't have been more than twenty or so, Layla's age. He thought about her and felt like someone kicked him in the gut. He knew that he should have said something to her, but he didn't have a choice, when he was called, he was called and there wasn't a thing he could do about it. He recognized the girl, he'd left her a flyer a few weeks before Layla had called him.

"What do you want?" He asked. The ghost was pretty enough, he supposed, blonde hair, blue eyes. . She certainly wasn't of Layla's calabur, but nice enough for him to have had a second glance at her. Now that he'd seen her again she looked rather plain when he pictured Layla in his mind. Her big, blue eyes were staring up at him in terror and confusion.

"Are you the ghost who can help me?" She whispered.

"Yeah, sure Kid whatever you want. You need me to get rid of some people for ya." He said, impatience in his voice. She blinked and tears came to her eyes and it took everything he had to not roll his.

"I just, I just died a few months ago and these people came into my house. I don't know what to do." She said. He couldn't help himself and did roll his eyes.

"Didn't you try haunting them yourself?" He asked and she shook her head at him. Layla hadn't needed his help for over one hundred years. Layla could handle herself. He thought as he stared at the young ghost.

"Can you get rid of them for me?" She asked. He looked at her and shook his head.

"Yeah sure kid, whatever ya want, just point me to them." He said. She blinked up at him with her baby blues and gave a little smile.

"I don't know how I'll repay you." She said and batted her lashes. He wanted to laugh at her, but saw that she was being sincere and had to chock. She was coming on to him. The little girl was making a pass at him. Layla had exchanged shots back and forth and had a conversation. They teased, but she'd never actually advanced to making a pass, at least not when they had first met. It had dawned on him that there was a pretty girl right in front of him and all he could do was think about how different she was from Layla. How in the hell did that happen? He shook his head and wanted to block it off. It must be because he was feeling guilty about not talking to her, yeah that must be it.

"Cash is fine." He said. "Jewels work too, anything valuable really. Now show me my targets so I can get the fuck outta here. Gotta fix a few other problems." He said. She pointed towards the door and he walked out, ready to get the people out and get back to his home. He hadn't thought about that, but it really was his home, that house, with Layla, Lyds, Sloane and the kids. He'd never had an actual home before, it felt kinda nice. She followed him as he walked down and it took him a minute to realize that she was talking to him.

"What did you say?" He asked her when he realized that she was speaking.

"I said, I didn't realize that I'd be stuck here when I died. It doesn't seem fair." She said. He rolled his eyes, but she didn't see that and kept on talking. "It really is lonely. Maybe I just called you because I needed someone to talk to." She said in almost a purr.

"Look Kid." H said stopping and she ran straight into him. "I really do got other appointments so this little thing better not take very long." He said. She just smiled at him and batted her lashes.

"What could be more important than me? I'm standing right in front of you and when I was alive I had lots of boys want to be with me, but I refused. I like you though." She said and kept smiling. He just shook his head and turned to continue walking.

"I don't think they're home yet." She said.

"What? You called me out and they're not even here? Now what am I supposed to do?" He asked. She just smiled at him and he groaned.

Sloane woke up and slowly opened his eyes. He hoped like hell that his hangover was gone. Damn Beetlejuice for having him drink whiskey. It went straight to his head, but he was the one who suggested it. He shook his head and looked around. It was strange to be in the house when it was so empty. Normally he was at work and when he came home Layla and Beetlejuice would be with the kids in the living room and playing games or Lydia and Layla would be talking. He missed the chaos of a family and frowned at himself. It wasn't his family, but then again it was. He was beginning to feel like a father of sorts to Lydia's children. They looked up to him, but knew that when he said something it was business, unlike Beetlejuice who they treated better. He was their friend and Sloane was the boss. He smiled a little at that and could get used to the idea. Layla was the loving aunt who bestowed gifts and affection while Lydia was the mother who did that as well, but when she said something she meant it. He sighed and wished everything was back to normal.

He knew that Layla was around, but he hadn't seen her. Normally she would be in the living room or in the kitchen doing something, but the house was cold and barren. He slowly got up and wandered around, peeking in doors to see if she was there. He finally got to the parlor and peeked in to see Layla sitting in a chair and staring off into space. She didn't even look towards the door when she heard it open and knew that someone had walked in.

"Layla are you okay?" Sloane asked, walking up to her slowly.

"Fine. Please go away." She said. No teasing annoyance that she usually had with him. Over the months he'd gone from a nuisance to her to just being an occasional annoyance and he had started to like that relationship with her. He could see what Lydia was talking about. Any sort of spirit that she had in her was gone. Like a candle that had been doused out and he found out really quickly that he missed that in her. Even her hair and skin seemed to be duller than usual, not just her eyes.

"Layla, I think we should talk." He said.

"What is there to talk about?" She asked and turned to him.

"Beetlejuice was called away for another job." He said. She just looked at him for a moment longer before she turned back and looked away again.

"I know, Lydia told me. I think that is probably for the best." She said, her voice flat and unbearably calm.

"How is that for the best? You love him right?" He asked, but she refused to answer and the room started to grow cold. Sloane shivered and began to rub his arms, but it didn't phase her as she continued to stare off. "Come on Layla, there has to be something you want to say to him." He said. She still refused to answer him, but the room seemed to be getting colder by the second and soon he could see his breath.

"Please go away, I just want to be left alone." She said.

"Fine Layla, if that's the way you want it." He said and walked out the door before his feet froze to the floor. Layla turned to look at the door and locked it. She didn't want to be bothered by anyone else and she continued to make the room even colder. Maybe if she froze herself out she would feel something. Deep within her she was shouting at herself to feel something, pain, anger, hurt. She still remained numb, so she might as well be numb and frozen literally and figuratively. The colder she kept going she realized that she didn't feel it. It could've been a hundred degrees below zero and she still would have felt neutral. She knew she was slipping away and she didn't stop herself. Anything to get away from the deep hurt that she felt inside. Anything was better than that. She shut her eyes, but didn't sleep, didn't think. Just wanted to go away from it all. She wanted to go into nothingness.

Sloane waited for Lydia to return home with the kids since she was only going into the office to rearrange a few meetings for him. He needed to talk with her about Layla. She had scared him when he went into the room and she froze him out. Since then he'd tried the door but it was not only locked, but frozen shut. When she said she didn't want anyone to come in she really meant it. He'd never seen her this way before and he didn't like it at all.

When Lydia returned home he could have jumped for joy. The kids all filed in behind her and looked around.

"Where's Uncle Beej and Aunt Layla?" Riley asked looking around. Lydia had rushed them out in such a hurry that they didn't even have time to think about it, other than what Chloe had told them.

"Beej has gone away for a little while, but he'll be back." Lydia said and hoped that she was right.

"I thought he couldn't leave." Jordan said.

"He can if he's called away and he was. Like you're mother said, he'll be back." Sloane said. "We need to talk." He whispered to Lydia.

"Okay kids, why don't you go upstairs and do your homework." She said and all three kids groaned.

"Aw Mom." They all said together.

"Aunt Layla always lets us have an hour before we have to do our homework." Jordan whined.

"I'm your mother and what I say goes, so march." She said not budging. They all grumbled, but headed for the stairs and gave her dirty looks on the way. "I saw those looks you three and don't you think you can get away with it." She said. They just groaned louder and shut their doors.

"Layla is really bad. I think if she doesn't get out of this then she'll be this way forever." Sloane said, real worry in his voice. Lydia could only nod.

"I told you so. How long do you think Beej is going to be gone?" She asked, but Sloane could only shake his head.

"I don't know how long it will take, but I hope it doesn't take too long. She'll freeze us out if she keeps going this way." He said and shivered. Lydia had noticed that the living room was colder than usual, but she hoped that it wouldn't be too much for the kids to bear.

* * *

Sloane didn't think he could stand it anymore, Beetlejuice had been gone almost a week and it didn't seem right that he should go through with his plan with Lydia. It could always be postponed until things got settled down, or livened back up. Layla had avoided them ever since Beetlejuice had gone away. She never game out to eat or sleep and with the door locked no one knew what she was doing in there. Sloane sat down on the couch and closed his eyes trying to think of something he could do when the televison came on.

"Yo, is anyone there?" Beetlejuice asked. "If ya are say my name three times and quick. I can't take this chick anymore." He said. Sloane opened his eyes and looked at the TV.

"Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice." He said quickly, remembering the huge fight Lydia and Layla had all those months ago and with a poof he was there.

"Thank God, that chick was driving me crazy." He said.

"What chick?"

"The chick that summoned me. She just wanted a young couple out of her house with a crying baby. She hadn't even tried to get rid of them herself. Then, on top of that she wanted to fuck me." He said flopping down on the couch and closed his eyes. The entire week had been more than crazy, it had been a nuisance. The chick, Brandi no less, had lounged all over him and it annoyed him even further that all he could think about was the fact that he would have been unfaithful to Layla. Normally he would have screwed her, she was pretty enough, but every time he thought about it, Layla's smiling face came to him and he had to shrug it off. Near the end he just could take it and did a huge number on the couple. Probably scared them for life, but anything was better than staying there for a minute longer.

"Never mind that. You've got bigger problems here." Sloane said. Beetlejuice opened his eyes and looked at Sloane.

"What could have possibly gone on around here?" He asked.

"Layla, she hasn't been out of the parlor since you left. She's pretty broken up Beej and you need to fix her." He said.

"What can I do?" He asked.

"At least talk to her. She's locked the door shut and frozen it solid so no one can get in and the kids are pretty upset by it." Beetlejuice sighed and nodded, getting up. He wanted to talk to Layla, he'd actually wanted to tell her about Brandi so they could laugh it off together, but the way Sloane sounded, he didn't think it was gonna happen.

He walked up to the parlor door and just walked through it. What he saw made his jaw drop. Layla was still sitting in the chair that she had been when Sloane and Lydia had come to talk to her and stared off into space. Her skin had taken on a greyish hue, greyer than he'd ever seen on her and she looked like a corpse. Not a ghost, but a corpse.

"Babes?" He asked, but she didn't seem to hear him. He felt a panic rise up in him as he looked at her. She was gone, away from him and alone in her thoughts. "Layla, come on, it's me. Beej." He said and walked over to look at her. Her normally bright eyes were dulled down to an ashen dark grey with a purple hue to them and she didn't respond to him immediately. He couldn't take it, seeing her like that it broke his already dead heart.

"Beej?" She asked and he smiled, relief washing over him.

"Yeah Babes, it's me. What's the matter?" He asked, pulling her into his arms. She laid there, not saying anything to him. "Babes, you gotta snap outta this. It's too much, you gotta come back to me." He said.

"This is me. I am nothing." She said. He pulled her back and shook her until her head snapped back.

"You are not nothing, you are everything." He said and pulled her in to kiss him. He pressed hard against her mouth, but she just sat there, unresponding, unmoving. It dawned on him that not only had she built her wall back up, but she'd built it higher and stronger. It was all because of him. He had to get his Babes back. He had to, she was the only thing that seemed to keep him going these days and he couldn't lose that.

"I'm sorry Beej, but it just doesn't mean anything anymore." She said and turned to look away. He felt anger rising up in him and he hauled her up against him.

"You've got to feel again Layla. You can't just lay here like a dead horse." He said and forced her up against the wall. "I'll make you feel again." He said and grabbed her, kissing her as hard as he could, ramming his tongue down her throat and she still didn't respond.

"Will you force me?" She asked when he had pulled back to look at her. He roared with frustration.

"No, I would never do that to ya. I care about ya too much." He said.

"But not love." She said.

"I..I don't think I can do that Babes. I really don't." He said and pulled her against him to hold her close. He had to feel her. He had to touch her and just be with her. "It's not you. If I could love ya, I would, in a heartbeat, but I just can't. I just don't have it in me." He said. Layla heard the words and she felt, for the first time a sob rise in her throat. She tried to keep it in, but it bursted out of her mouth.

Beetlejuice could have jumped for joy if he hadn't been holding on to her. He sank down to the floor with her in his arms, holding her as she let the tears come. Anything was better than the nothingness that he had seen.

"Cry Babes, cry your heart out." He said as he held her tight to him. "God Babes, don't ever do that again. Don't ever let me see you like that. I'll get myself exorcized before I'll let that happen. Layla just sobbed harder into his shirt and he took it all.

"It hurts so bad." She said against him. The one man who made her do everything she never wanted to do, he pulled her head up to his and kissed her, tasting the tears on her lips.

"I can't promise you love Layla, but I can promise you that you are so important to me, that I passed up sex with a young, blonde hair, blue eyed bimbo for you." He said.

"Don't make me laugh." She said and sniffed. He laughed at her and hugged her tight to him.

"I shoulda made myself known to ya a hundred years ago." He said without thinking.

"What?" She asked and pulled away from him.

"I saw you when ya first died. Thought you were pretty and was gonna have you call me, but I didn't. Oh well, I checked up on you from time to time. When ya slept, you were so cute when ya slept. Don't ever do that fifties bee hive thing again though, that was just wrong." He said. Layla couldn't believe what she was hearing and she shook her head. He had known about her ever since she'd died? No, it wasn't possible. She could have had someone to talk to all that time and yet she had been alone and he had spied on her?

"What?" She asked again, anger growing deep in her. The entire room seemed to melt as she grew angry.

"What's the matter Babes?" He asked and she shoved him off of her.

"You knew about me for over a hundred years? You _knew _about _me_?" She asked.

"Sure, I always check on the pretty ones." He said and gave her a lazy smile.

"You no good son of a bitch. You say you don't love me, you'll never love me and then you say that you've spied on me?" She asked and turned to walk away from him. She blasted the door open, tearing to the shreds and sending splinters everywhere as she walked out. Everyone had conjured in the living room when Sloane had told them that Beetlejuice was back, but now they threw themselves together for protection, Chloe giving a little scream when they watched the door burst open. Layla had gone from nothing to furious and she was taking it out on the house and anything else that was in her way.

"Come on Babes, don't you think you're blowing this a little out of proportion?" He asked. Layla turned to look at him and only saw red.

"Oh you haven't seen out of proportion yet." She growled and threw him against the wall. Chloe screamed, but Lydia just gripped her tighter.

"We have to help Mom." Jordan whispered, his eyes as big as saucers as he saw Beetlejuice flung against the wall.

"We need to stay out of this." Lydia said and held her son tighter to her.

"God dammit Layla, that fuckin' hurt." He said and picked himself up.

"Good. I wanted it to." She spat back at him.

"What the fuck is this shit about? From cold to hot in a second? What game are you playin'?"

"The same game you are Beetlejuice." She spat. "Ya know what? I take it back. I don't love you. I don't think I ever did." She said furious at him.

"Good, I never wanted ya to. Love is for losers." He spat back, ignoring the fact that she'd said his full name.. Her eyes grew wide and furious.

"You are such an..."

"Asshole? Yeah your friend over there mentioned it a time or two." He said, nudging toward Lydia.

"You are."

"Well good, an asshole is better than a loser."

"Did you just call me a loser?" She asked, her eyes wide.

"If the shoe fits." He said and shrugged.

"Jackass."

"Whatever makes you feel better."

"You know what would make me feel better?" She said.

"What's that?" He asked.

"To never see your face again. To think I wasted so much time and energy on you. Beetlejuice."

"Don't you dare say it again." He threatened.

"Say what? Beetlejuice?" She asked and he was gone.

Sloane and Lydia couldn't believe what they had just seen. They wanted the fire back in Layla, but it went from one extreme to the other and she scared them all. Layla turned to look at them and both Lydia and Sloane pulled the kids tighter to them.

"Anyone says his name in this house again will be thrown out and I will make sure they don't return." She said. It was a threat and she meant every word. She turned on her heel to walk up the stairs, blasting each picture on her way up so a layer of glass shards was left in her wake.


	32. Me Again?

I just never know where this story is going to go until it takes me there. O.o Crazy isn't it?

This chapter is dedicated to mywickedlyweirdnature for giving me the idea for this ALL the way back in chapter...I can't remember, but it was a way long time ago, back in single digit chapters. Love ya Babes ;)

Anyway hope you enjoy and review as always.

Loves!

Lace

* * *

Lydia and Sloane just held the children until they didn't hear another sound.

"What happened?" Chloe asked after Layla had left them downstairs.

"I don't know Sweetie, but I'll find out." Lydia said and slowly moved away from her children. They all just moved closer to Sloane as he put his arms around them, their eyes wider than she'd ever seen them.

"Be careful Lydia. Layla might be gentle most of the time, but when she's angry she can be pretty intense." Sloane said. Lydia stopped and looked up at the empty stairs.

"Maybe I better wait a few minutes and let her calm down." Lydia said and hurried back into the safety of Sloane and her children's arms.

Layla paced her bedroom floor, getting more and more upset. How could he have done this to her? To her? She couldn't understand it. He must have know how completely lonely she was. So desperate to talk to someone and yet he did nothing, but spy on her while she slept. How could she have fallen for someone like that? She slumped down onto the floor and put her head in her hands. She knew why, she had been so desperate that she didn't think. She just fell for the first ghost she'd seen. How could she have been so stupid? She felt the tears coming again and didn't stop them. She let them come just as they wanted and poured out her heart and sat as the tears spilled down her face, catching in the palms of her hands.

Beetlejuice stared at his own little hole in the wall and had to sit down before he registered everything that had just happened. Layla had just banished him, he couldn't believe it. Just because he hadn't shown himself? No, it had to be a bad dream, he was dreaming all of it. Even as he tired to think of something to make himself better he felt his stomach drop. The old saying about a woman scorn sure was true in her case. He sat down in the ratty old chair that he hadn't seen in months. It used to be his favorite, worn until the springs hit the spots on his back just right. He hated it now, couldn't stand it. He looked around at the filth that he had been so proud of and wrinkled his nose. He already missed the charming Old World style that Layla had created in their home, neat, clean and always comfortable.

"Oh fuck." He said out loud. She'd gotten to him, she'd changed him and he hadn't even known she was doing it. Well, maybe a little bit. He knew that she'd changed him a little, but now it was all so obvious that it hit him right in between the eyes.

Maybe it was better than she'd sent him away. He could get back to where he was, where he belonged and he had been doing pretty good before that little ghost sent his whole world upside down. He wanted it back right side up again. He was where he belonged, for now. He needed to find himself a little live girl to get hitched to. He wanted out, permanently and Layla just wasn't the ticket. Even has he thought about her he could see her face, vividly and the one image that came into his mind first was at the exact moment where she had been on top of him, her hair flying around her like flames and she uttered those words, those damn three words. What was so special about them anyhow? How could three words either give you everything or take it away? He shook his head so hard it spun around and he had to catch it. God, he hated that, gave him one hell of a headache. He had to get her out of his mind. Maybe he could go back to that chick that he'd been working on before Layla had called him. Cute little Goth girl, what was her name? He couldn't remember, but he had almost gotten to her. Maybe now he could get to her now and get hitched. He'd be free, free from the shit hole he was in, free from everything and especially from Layla. He had to get her out of his mind and fast. The girl was cute enough, maybe if he screwed her enough times he'd forget about the way Layla looked in her afterglow. If he didn't he was gonna go crazy and fast. It was over, no going back now. He sighed and somewhere his heart broke, but he wouldn't admit it to himself as he got up to walk out the door.

Lydia gently knocked on Layla's door before she peaked inside. She didn't really know what to expect from Layla, she'd proven to be a volatile mixture of emotions. From nothing to angry and now Lydia saw that she was on the floor sobbing her eyes out. It wasn't one of those pretty cries that the movies liked to show. A woman laying on the bed, soft tears running down her face. No, Layla was flat out heaving she was crying so hard, her head down between her legs and her back bowed more than she would have guessed possible as she moaned and Lydia could hear the deep agony in her cries.

"Layla?" She asked gently and she watched as Layla tried to compose herself before she looked up. The tears were still streaming down her face as she tried to wipe them away and rub them out.

"I'm sorry if I scared everyone down there. Will you tell the kids that I'm sorry?" Layla stammered, her voice watery and thin. Lydia walked in and sat down next to Layla.

"Of course I will, but I want you to tell me what happened. You were so depressed and then you just seemed to turn angry all of a sudden." Lydia said in a soft voice and she began to rub Layla's back.

"He told me that he...he knew about me." She said, drawing out the end of her sentence as her mouth turned downward.

"What do you mean?" Lydia urged.

"He's known about me since I died all those years ago. He knew that I was sad and lonely and wanted to talk with someone, but he never said anything, he just watched me and that's it." She said and sighed deeply, wiping her eyes.

It took Lydia a minute to figure out what she was saying before she really understood why Layla was so upset.

"You were alone for so long that when you did see someone you didn't think about anything else?" She asked and Layla nodded.

"He was the first person I was able to really talk to. I guess I just jumped in too far." She said and sniffed again.

"Do you still love him?" Lydia asked. Layla looked at her friend, the tears blurring her face and felt miserable.

"I don't know anymore. I thought I did, but maybe it was just because he was someone I could see and talk to." She said and shivered. She felt horrible saying it, even worse for feeling it, but she didn't really know what was happening to her.

Lydia might not have been Beetlejuice's biggest fan, but she did know that he had cared for Layla, a lot. He hadn't said he loved her, but knowing him the way she did, she was sure it would take a lot for him to admit it, even to himself.

"You know I wouldn't say this unless I really meant it right?" Lydia asked and Layla nodded. "I've seen the way he acts with you and I have to admit that he is likeable when he's around you and only you. You have brought out something in him that I don't think he even knew he had and it's great to see. He cares about you more than anything else and that is something coming from a ghost like him." Lydia said. Layla nodded and she knew that Lydia was trying to make her see that even if he didn't love her, he cared about her, but was it enough? Layla sighed long and deep. She didn't know and she didn't think she would ever find out. She didn't think she could take any more heartbreak, especially from Beetlejuice.

"Does he? Care about me I mean? At this point I really don't know what the difference is between genuine care and being friendly and happy because he'd been in my bed for the past few months."

"Just out of curiosity...I mean, I know I freaked out, but you did mention in bed and well..." Lydia started. She really had been curious as to what Beetlejuice would be like in bed. Not that she wanted to take that particular ride, but when Layla always woke up with a smile on her face, she did begin to wonder. Was he really that good? Layla smiled and looked like she was some place far away.

"You want to know about him? In bed?" Layla asked.

"I know it's horrible, but..." Lydia blushed and nodded.

"Since I'd never been with anyone else it would be difficult for me to compare, but..." Layla paused and remembered every single time she'd been with him and she smiled, love full in her eyes and Lydia knew that Layla really did love him, even if her mind was doubting her. "He was so gentle with me. I know it doesn't seem like he would be and there were times when he was near desperate, but he never once forgot about me. He never once got what he wanted and left me with nothing and it was really wonderful. I can't think of one time, except for the first of course and even that was great half the time, where I wasn't screaming my head off by the end of it."

"You're lucky Layla, not a lot of women, living or otherwise, can say that." Lydia said, no humor in her voice. She knew from personal experience. Not that Jonathon had been a pig in bed either, but there was more than one occasion where she just had to give him what he wanted. No love and no tenderness. Layla smiled at her friend. That's what she was, a friend and she cherished that friendship that had grown with Lydia.

"You're not leaving anytime soon are you? I know that you wanted to move out, but you won't leave me will you?" Layla asked as the thought came to her. She didn't know what she would do if Lydia and the kids moved out and it was just her and Sloane. Lydia laughed and shook her head.

"I don't think I"ll be leaving any time soon. I couldn't leave you here by yourself, not in the state that you're in." Lydia said. Layla knew that she should have been offended by the statement, but she wasn't.

"Thank you." She said and smiled, relief clear on her face. Lydia reached out and hugged her feeling Layla's cool skin against her warmth and shivered slightly. "Sorry." Layla said and shrugged. "Can't help that part of me."

"You'd think I'd be used to it by now." Lydia said and laughed making Layla chuckle a little herself.

"You would think so." She said, a smile still playing on her face.

Beetlejuice stared at the girl who was sitting in her college dorm room and had a book propped open, a set of earbuds in her ears as she weaved along with the music. He hadn't believed the good fortune of being sent to her when a couple of drunk kids were screwing around with a Ouija board. She was just his style, Lyds back in the day, but better. More...sophisticated and she wasn't scared shitless of him either. Course, she had been at first, but she seemed to get over it pretty quick. He had a suspicion it wasn't her first run in with a ghost and after some prodding he found out that she thought her grandparents had haunted her a time or two. He just confirmed her belief that ghosts were out there.

Right now she was dressed in a plain black shirt and a pair of jeans, the knees worn off and she was sitting at her desk and pretending to read. He'd seen her study before and when she was really concentrating she had a notebook out to take notes. Now she was just scanning the pages, probably bored out of her skull, not that he blamed her. School was a bore and normally he wouldn't have been conversing with a student, but when he'd first appeared he for one, noticed she was pretty and two, she had a ton of books that were some of his favs. Couldn't pass up a chick who had a whole collection of Poe. Without realizing it, he thought of Layla when she would sit and read, her eyes riveted to the pages of Poe, Shakespeare and other classics. He couldn't remember seeing a single piece of pop fiction in her massive collection. He smiled as he remembered her tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear and looking up to smile at him, a content smile on her face. The random thought threw him. He normally thought about her when she was in bed with him, but this? This was something new entirely. He was beginning to think about her when she was doing everyday things. He heard her laugh in his mind and had to shake it loose.

"Hi ya Babes." He said and then frowned at himself. He had only called Layla Babes for the past few months and hearing it addressed to someone else just sounded wrong.

"Jesus H. Christ." The girl said and jumped back with so much force that she fell off her chair and landed right on her ass. He just cackled at her and looked at her in the mirror.

"I get the Jesus part and I get the Christ part, but why H? What does that stand for? Howard? J. Howard Christ. Attorney at law." He said in a serious hero voice and cackled again. The girl looked at him and narrowed her eyes.

"I thought I got rid of you." She hissed at him as she got up from the floor, rubbing her butt. He just rolled his eyes at her and smiled.

"No one ever _really _get's rid of me. Besides, Ouija boards are a real bitch. They fuck everything up." He said. She just looked at him and shook her head.

"Gee thanks, but I'm not the one who summoned you on that one."

"Yeah well, same difference. They unlock shit that probably shouldn't be unlocked." He said and examined his nails.

"Like you?" She asked raising an eyebrow.

"You got that one right." He said and looked up to see that she was staring at him.

"You look different than before." She said looking closer.

"Yeah? How's that?" He asked.

"Cleaner. Did you do something? Like take a couple thousand baths to get clean? If I remember correctly you were about the color of the floor. Now you actually have skin." She said. and smirked at him. He thought about Layla and her gentle pressure about getting clean and frowned. He had to shake his head and he looked at the girl who was looking superior.

"I forgot your name." He said flatly. There was no way this chick was gonna get him this quickly. She immediately frowned at him and bent over to pick up her chair.

"Thanks a lot. Glad to know I made an impact on you." She said.

"Sorry, been busy the past few months."

"Yeah? Doing what?" She asked. Finding the best ghost he'd ever seen was the first thing that popped into his mind, but he had to shake that thought. He had to get back to what he was. He had to get under this chick's skin and get her to marry him. He had to, but he couldn't really remember why.

"Just doin' shit. So what's your name." He asked. She sighed and shook her head.

"Stacey. My name is Stacey." She said. He nodded at her and tried to focus on her dark brown with platinum blonde streaks and strong hazel eyes. He wanted to make the dark red and purple fade out of his memory, but it wasn't working.


	33. Conspiracy

The dirty dog, going to some other chick when Layla kicks him out. Tsk, when will he ever learn?

Well as you can figure out by now, I just don't like to keep things nice and simple. It's just not fun that way so I hope you enjoy.

Enjoy and Review,

Loves,

Lace

* * *

"Doin' shit huh?" Stacey asked and raised an eyebrow. Beetlejuice just shrugged and nodded, not wanting to relive the past few months with the girl. It was funny to him how he thought of her as a girl, but Layla was a woman when Layla died right about the age that Stacey was right now. He sighed and shook his head. 

"Well what have you been doin'?" He asked and smiled at her.

"Just going to school, nothing special in that." Stacey said and shrugged.

"Get a boyfriend while I was gone? Some guy who's ass I'm gonna have to kick?" He asked and she laughed a little.

"No, no boyfriend, kind of a stalker though." She said and felt the skin on her arms rise up. He raised an eyebrow at that, but she didn't say anything more. Chicks, they want to talk about shit, but you gotta force it outta them, he thought and rolled his eyes.

"Stalker? How do ya figure that one Stace?" He asked. She looked at him, but didn't say anything, before he would call her Babe, or Babes, something like that, then he asked for her name and called her that? Something had happened to him in the months that he left her alone.

"He won't leave me alone. You know, just follows me everywhere and it's really creepy." She said and shivered again.

"You scarda him?" He asked. Stacey wanted to say of course not, but it got stuck in her throat and she sighed and nodded her head.

"Kinda." She admitted and looked away.

"Don't be embarrassed Stace. People get scared, it's natural." He said trying to help her out. She looked at him and narrowed her eyes.

"Yeah? What do you get scared of?" She asked. He looked at her, surprise clear in his face. What was he scared of? He thought to himself and sighed. He was scared of losing Layla, but that already happened. He was scared he was never going to see her smiling at him anymore, putting her arms around his waist and lightly scratching his stomach with her nails.

"I'm not afraid of anythin' important." He said and shrugged.

"You just said that everyone is afraid of something." She pointed out.

"Yeah, but the numbers tend to get fewer and fewer when you turn into something that other people are afraid of." He said and she giggled.

"True enough." She said and sighed.

"So what's this guy doin'?" He asked.

"Like I said, he follows me everywhere and I think I caught him looking in my dorm window one time. I'm not sure."

"What do ya mean, think? You're not sure?"

"I don't know if I saw someone or not. It was dark and might have been a shadow." She said and frowned. Why was she telling him all of this? This was the ghost who had constantly bugged her about how he wanted to get out of wherever he was.

"Well it looks like I'll be stickin' around here for a while, so don't worry your pretty little head about it." Beetlejuice said. The kid was cute and harmless enough, but he had to keep reminding himself of why he was here, to be free. Free from what? He wasn't sure anymore and the thought was enough to haunt him and since he was the one who usually did the haunting the thought shook him and he shivered.

"I didn't think ghosts could feel." Stacey said as she watched him shiver. He just looked out the window and stared out at the dusk that was falling.

"They can." He said and she heard a sadness in his voice that he hadn't had before.

Layla walked into the kitchen to find Lydia and Sloane whispering to each other as they sat at the kitchen table. They stopped when they saw Layla walk in and she frowned.

"Don't stop on my account." She said to them, her voice thick with sarcasm.

"Sorry, but kinda hard not to talk." Sloane said trying to smile, but it fell when she looked at him.

"Actually I've been wanting to talk with you as well." She said and sat down at the table.

"About what?" They exchanged looks with each other before they asked.

"I know that this was supposed to be a secret plan, but I don't see the reason for it to be anymore. You two were supposed to go on a business trip together last week, but you didn't and it's all my fault for it." Layla said.

"Don't worry about it." Sloane said, but Layla held up her hand to silence him.

"It was all a plan that was thought of to get you two alone together and you both wanted to." She said and watched as Sloane and Lydia looked at each other.

"You mean you wanted to go away?" Sloane asked and Lydia blushed horribly, but nodded her head and looked down. Sloane reached out to grasp her hand and smiled.

"I did too, but I thought you wouldn't want to, that's why I ask. B…" He started, but his voice fell when he looked at Layla. She didn't seem mad or angry, but an enormous amount of pain and grief fell over her face.

"It's all right. The reason that I'm saying this is because I want you two to take that trip. The children can stay here with me, but you two deserve some sort of chance to at least get to know one another better."

"I don't think we…" Lydia started, but Layla just looked at it and it was enough to make her fall into silence.

"Yes you do. I am telling you that you need to and you've seen what happens when I don't get my own way." She said. The mild threat was enough to make them change their mind and they looked at each other.

"You still wanna go?" Sloane asked and Lydia looked at him. She did, but she felt like she couldn't leave her friend or her children alone, but when she looked at Layla and saw the determination in her eyes she knew that she really didn't have much of a choice.

"Are you sure about this?" She asked.

"Yes." Layla said and got up to walk out of the room and back up stairs to her bedroom.

"She's hurting something fierce." Sloane said.

"I know, that's why I didn't want to go, but she's bound and determined." Lydia said and watched the empty doorway. "I'm going to talk to her." Lydia said and got up to leave Sloane alone with his thoughts. He appreciated Layla's honesty about everything at now that he knew that Lydia felt the same way about him, he couldn't help but smile. He also knew that Layla probably just wanted to be left alone with the kids for a while. Get her thoughts together, maybe going away was the best solution for everyone.

Lydia lightly tapped on Layla's door and opened it up. She saw Layla sitting on the chaise lounge and staring at nothing in particular.

"Are you sure that you want Sloane and I to go away? Don't you want some company?" She asked sitting down next to her. Layla turned to look at Lydia and gave a hint of a smile.

"I will have company and yes, I am sure I want you and Sloane to go away. Someone should have a happy ending in this house." She said and her smile fell as she looked away again.

"You can still have a happy ending." Lydia urged, but Layla just shook her head.

"I don't think so." She said and continued to look away. She was still angry at him, but her sadness was overwhelming the anger and she was a mixture of emotions. She didn't know what to do and not seeing Sloane and Lydia exchange glances without the other knowing was enough to make her feel sick all over again. This way they would be able to be alone and she could figure out what she wanted to do. She had just a short amount of time left before she was released from this house and she didn't know where she wanted to go.

"What makes you say that?" Lydia asked.

"I had a shot and I blew it. It was all my fault for admitting something I shouldn't have." Layla said.

"I wish that you could see that there is something out there for you." Lydia said in a sigh, but Layla just shook her head.

"I don't think that there is, I think that he was it for me. I just found out that I wanted something more than what he could give."

"Maybe you can learn to live with what he is then. Just because he doesn't say I love you doesn't mean that he doesn't. Maybe he doesn't realize it right now." Lydia urged. Layla nodded and thought about what she said, but it would take time and right now she needed time.

"We'll be going into Boston for a week." Lydia told her children. "You guys are going to stay with Layla because I trust her a lot more than anyone else." She said and Layla gave a small smile.

"What about…" Jordan started, but had to stop himself, he didn't want Layla to be angry with him. Lydia looked up at Layla and she shrugged.

"It's just going to be Aunt Layla for this time. I'm not sure where he is right now." Lydia said and gave each of them a big hug. "I expect each of you to be on your best behavior and listen to Aunt Layla. She will tell me if you have done something you shouldn't have."

"Yes Mom." All three answered.

"I want you do your homework and help Layla around the house." Lydia said.

"Okay Mom, you can go now." Chloe said rolling her eyes. Lydia smiled and nodded. She gave them each one more quick hug before she walked out to meet Sloane in the car. She had tried to explain as best she could to her children about her trip alone with Sloane, but got fed up and told them it was a business trip. If what she thought was going to happen did, then they could all sit down together and discuss it. If it didn't, then she wouldn't have to explain why. It was better that way, easier than telling them every little thing that happened.

Layla stood at the open door while the kids waved at their mother driving away from them. They were all ready to go to school and Layla watched as the bus rolled up to get them.

"All right, time to head to school." She said.

"Aw, you mean we still have to go?" Riley asked and Layla laughed at him.

"Your mother hasn't been gone for more than two minutes and you're already complaining?" She asked. He laughed at her and they each gave her a hug before they took off for the big yellow bus to take them to their small school.

Layla looked around at the empty house and sighed. It seemed so big without a child running around or Beetlejuice lounging on the couch. She missed him, a lot, but she refused to call him back to her.

"Do you think Aunt Layla is ever going to forgive Uncle Beej?" Chloe whispered when they got on the bus to head to school.

"Don't know. I wish she would. It's not as much fun without him." Jordan said and looked back at the house that was their home. Even at a distance it seemed a lot more lonelier than it had been when they first came to live there.

"I want him back too. It's just not the same." Riley said. "Is there anything that we can do?"

"We better not try anything. You saw how angry Aunt Layla was that night. I don't think I want her that angry at me." Jordan said and his sister and brother nodded at him. "Lets see how everything goes before we do anything. I don't wanna see Aunt Layla do that thing in the parlor again. All cold and everything. That scared me a lot more than her being mad did."

"Yeah, that was scary. It's like she just went away and there wasn't anything there. I didn't like that at all." Chloe said.

"Scared me too." Riley said wanting to get back into the conversation. Chloe and Jordan just looked at him and turned back to their own conversation.

"If we do decide to do anything we have to do it away from the house. We can't let Aunt Layla, Mom or Sloane know what we're doing or else we'll get into a lot of trouble." Jordan said and Chloe nodded.

"Where else could we though?"

"School? We could probably do it at school. Remember when Mom and Aunt Layla had that fight. They were just saying his name three times and he kept leaving and coming back. We can do that at school."

"If we do, we have to make sure that no one else is around or else we can get into a lot of trouble."

"We'll figure it out Chloe. Don't worry about it right now. Hopefully Aunt Layla won't be all sad when we get home. If she is, then we'll do something. I want the old Aunt Layla back and the old Uncle Beej."

"What are you guys talking about?" A boy asked, looking over the bus seat.

"None of your business Brian." Jordan hissed.

"Fine." He said and flopped back down.

"We have to be careful. People can hear us." Jordan whispered so low that Chloe and Riley had to lean in to hear him. They nodded and sat up as they headed for school.

Beetlejuice watched as Stacey got ready for her morning classes. He couldn't sleep last night and just stared out the window. Every time he even thought about closing his eyes he began to think about Layla and every time he did that he felt guilty about being here with Stacey. She was the one who threw him out and he was feeling guilty? What kind of sick and demented joke what that all about? He sighed and Stacey glanced up at him, her eyebrow rising up.

"What's the matter with you?" She asked.

"Nothin'. So what classes do ya have?"  
"Shakespeare, History and Math today." She said and wrinkled her nose. "I hate math and it sucks that I have to take it. Don't they know that English majors are all horrible at it?" She asked and he chuckled..

"Guess not Stace." He said.

"That's another thing." She said looking at him. "When you were here before you called me Babe, now you call me Stace. What gives?"

"You like the other?"

"It didn't bother me, but I was just curious about it." She said and shrugged.

"I dunno, guess I'm different." He said and thought of Layla again. She never once complained about being called Babes. Not that her name wasn't a nice one, because it was, but she was just Babes to him and nothing else. He shook his head and her image began to disappear. He had to get her out, he had no way of getting back to her. He knew that she would just banish him again, she was still pissed off, he just knew she was. Better to cut her bait and start fishin' again. "So we gonna get married or what?" He asked and Stacey dropped her backpack to stare at him.

"What? That was out of left field." She said.

"You heard me, I know you were just beggin' for me to come back and propose." He said and winked at her. He felt a cold pit in his stomach, but he forced himself to focus on Stacey instead.

"You're bringing that up again. I thought you would have dropped it since I put my knee in your gut the last time." She said. When he had asked her the first time she blinked at him a total of three times and drove her knee a little lower than his gut.

"I'm still in the same predicament that I was then. I gotta get hitched and you're pretty cool. Figured you'd soften up by now." He said and shrugged. She shook her head and smiled at him.

"Goodbye BJ." She said and closed her door. He leaned back and felt the cold pit in his stomach grow and felt like he was going to be sick.

Layla sat down at the piano and ran her fingers lightly over the keys. She got into position and began to play, closing her eyes.

"So you think Aunt Layla is any better?" Jordan asked as they made their way up the long driveway from their bus stop.

"I hope so." Chloe said. They kept walking up when Jordan stopped when he was just about to open up the door.

"Do you hear that?" He asked. Chloe and Riley leaned in to listen.

"It's music." Chloe said and they walked around to peak into the window. It was open just a crack and they could hear Layla play the piano and she began to sing:

"_I heard there was a secret chord,  
__That David played and it pleased the Lord,  
__But you don't really care for music do you?  
__It goes like this the fourth, the fifth,  
__The minor fall and the major lift  
__And the baffled king composing Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
__Hallelujah, Hallelujah_

_Your faith was strong, but you needed proof,  
__You saw her bathing on the roof,  
__Her beauty in the moonlight over threw you,  
__She tied you to a kitchen chair  
__She broke your throne and she cut your hair  
__And from your lips she drew the Halleluiah,_

_Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
__Hallelujah, Hallelujah_

_There was a time  
You let me know  
What's real and going on below  
But now you never show it to me, do you?  
And remember when I moved in you?  
The holy dark was moving to  
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah_

_Maybe there's a god above  
And all I ever learned from love  
Was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you  
And it's not a cry you can hear at night,  
It's not somebody who's seen the light  
It's cold and it's a broken Hallelujah_

_Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah  
Hallelujah, Hallelujah_

She had kept her eyes closed the whole time she sang, but her voice began to crack and quiver as she felt the tears seep out from her lashes, rolling softly down her cheeks. She forced herself to go one, but by the end she couldn't take it. She sung her last Hallelujah and collapsed on her piano crying softly.

Jordan turned to look at Chloe and Riley. They had all been glued to the window as they watched her sing and now she was bent over, her back shuddering softly as she cried.

"That's it, we call Uncle Beej back. No more tears." He said and they nodded.

* * *

This song is one of my favorites and holds a lot of meaning It's Hallelujiah by Rufus Wainwright. 


	34. Come Together

Oh I just love kids. They are so much fun :) Who else could pull off getting Beej and Layla back together?

K, so this was a fun chapter to do, thinking of all sorts of consipracy stuff that kids would do. It's sad that Beej and Layla are apart and I'm trying to get them back together as quickly as possible, cause you KNOW that they're just meant to be together.

Oh, and before I forget: I want to thank mywikedlywierdnature for coming up with an idea that I used. You know I love ya Babes! And yes, I used the song from Shrek, 2 reasons: 1: I love that song dearly, 2: Lyrics are very important to me when I listen to a song, that's why I wrote them all out for the last chapter. I thought it fit very well with how the characters were feeling at the moment and what was happening. "Love is not a victory march, it's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah.." Can't get much more perfect than that for this story ;)

Anyway Enjoy and Review :)

Loves you lots and lots,

Lace

* * *

_"_We can't just call him back or else Aunt Layla will just send him away again. We have to do something to soften her up." Jordan said, tapping the side of his head as they stepped away from the window. 

"We'll have to talk about it later. Aunt Layla's going to figure out that we're standing outside if we're here much longer." Chloe said and they headed for the door.

Layla bolted up and quickly wiped the tears away as the kids came through the door.

"Hi Aunt Layla." Jordan said and smiled. He didn't want her to know that they had spied on her. She raised an eyebrow, but smiled softly at them.

"Hi guys, how was school?" She asked, pretending she had something in her eyes that she was rubbing out.

"Good, we better go upstairs to do our homework. We've got lots of it." He said and yanked Chloe and Riley up the stairs with him. Layla just shook her head, they were up to something, but she was too tired to try and figure it out.

Jordan locked his and Riley's door, not that it would do much good, but it felt more private that way. Chloe sat down on her brother's bed and they forgot their homework in their backpacks.

"Chloe, you're a girl." Jordan started.

"Thank you, did you just figure that out?" She asked and rolled her eyes.

"Shut up, what's not what I mean. What I mean is what would you like from someone you liked, ya know, that way?" He asked. Riley just took out his playing cards that Beetlejuice had given him and started shuffling.

"How 'bout some flowers, girls always like that stuff. Mom cried when we picked her flowers, 'member?" He asked and started to play solitaire.

"That's a good idea." Chloe said smiling at him. "And a note. Maybe something romantic."

"Like what?"

"Like I miss you or something." She said and shrugged. Jordan took out his notebook and started scribbling down notes.

"Good, maybe if we do some of this stuff and Aunt Layla thinks that it's from Uncle Beej, she'll want him back. Maybe she'll call him back herself." He said and smiled.

"Maybe, it's worth a shot." Chloe said.

"Yeah, I need to get back to playing poker." Riley said frowning and shuffled the cards again, solitaire was boring.

"It's only been like a day." Chloe said and rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, but if you don't practice then you lose it." He said.

"Who told you that?" Jordan asked.

"Uncle Beej." He said and smiled. Chloe and Jordan smiled too, thinking about how much they missed him.

"Okay so tomorrow we'll get that stuff going. Better to do it when Mom's not around so she doesn't get suspicious. You think they really went on a business trip?"

"Why?" Chloe asked.

"I don't know, I jus think that Sloane likes Mom." Jordan said and shrugged.

"Better than our dad." Chloe said darkly. Jordan just nodded. Their father had never been one that was around before, but to flat out ignore them was something else and Jordan would rather believe he never had a father than to think that he did and they just weren't wanted by him.

Stacey felt the hairs on the back of her neck start to rise and she knew that Gary was watching her again, she just didn't know where he was. The guy gave her the creeps and she hated it. He always was following her and leering at her. She just knew that he was trying to picture what she looked like under her clothes and it made her want to put on as many layers as she could. He'd been nice at first, but now when she said that she didn't want to date him he went crazy. She wished that Beetlejuice was there, at least with him around she felt a little safer and she really didn't know why. He was the one who proposed to her after all, but there was just something about him that made her feel safe.

Before when he'd shown up in her room he would leer at her and make dirty comments, now he seemed to be more interested in just, well, hanging out than trying to get into her pants. She didn't know if she liked that or not. Somehow when he did it, it was like a game, but with Gary it was scary. It was definitely interesting to see how much he changed and she wondered what had happened during those last months that would make him change so much. She was almost sure it was someone and a girl someone at that, but it was like pulling teeth to get him to talk about it.

"Hey Stace, wait up." Gary called from somewhere behind her. Stacey tried to ignore him and she sped up, trying to get to her dormitory before he could get to her. "Stace, I'm talking to you." He said, his voice starting to get angry. Stacey wished with all of her might that she hadn't stopped off at the library after her night class was over. She had lost track of time and it was almost black outside since it was almost time for curfew. The normally crowded walkways were deserted and she wished she had a whistle or something with her.

"Go away Gary, I said that I didn't want to talk to you." She said over her shoulder and wanted to break out into a full run.

"But I want to talk to you Stacey." He said and his voice was closer. Stacey couldn't help herself as she slipped her free arm through her backpack strap and pulled them up as she began to run. She heard his footsteps starting to pound the pavement behind her and without any warning he grabbed the loop on her backpack and yanked so hard she lost her balance and fell hard onto the cold concrete sidewalk.

"What do you want from me?" She asked, trying to keep the fear out of her voice, but when he smiled she knew that it hadn't worked.

"I want to talk with you Stacey." He said and smiled at her. "You've been avoiding me and I don't like it. I'll make you pay for that." He hissed at her. Stacey stared up at him and knew exactly what he was going to do when he came down on her. He laid down on top of her and crushed her against the concrete with his weight. Oh God, no this wasn't happening she thought herself. If only Beetlejuice were here and she suddenly remembered what he had said to her the last time he showed up. If she ever needed him all she had to do was say his name three times and he'd show up, then he made her play a stupid game of charades to figure it out what it was.

"Beetlejuice." She whispered as he grasped at the button on her jeans and started to yank them down. Gary turned to look up at her.

"What did you say?" He asked. She looked at him and screamed. "Beetlejuice, BEETLEJUICE!"

Beetlejuice looked around, one second he was watching some TV on Stacey's small television and the next he was outside. He hated not having control of where he could go at any given moment.

"He turned around to see Stacey on the ground, some guy on top of her, frozen where he was when Beetlejuice appeared. He smiled to himself when he saw a tiny smile on Stacey's face, although it was completely drained of any color.

"You must be Stalker Boy." He said and waltzed up, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"What?" He stammered out. Beetlejuice just kept walking towards him, smiling.

"Ya know, botherin' Stace when she didn't want to be bothered? Yeah stalker, that's being a creepy, little nobody who has to take instead of bein' a gentleman to a woman., Kid." He said and with just a look he lifted him off of the ground, flipping him so Gary was hanging in the air upside down. Beetlejuice saw that the button of Stacey's jeans was already undone and he had managed to get her pants down to where Beetlejuice could see a hint of blue underwear peaking out. He looked at Gary and clicked his tongue. "If you gotta force a woman, then you ain't a man. Now, either you made a dumb mistake or you're one mean son of a bitch. Which is it?" He asked coming closer to Gary. "I can either give you a warning or I can make you pay." He said, his voice cold as ice. Gary's eyes became wide as the color drained out of his face.

"Stupid mistake." He stammered. Beetlejuice smiled and he kept Gary in the air.

"Next time you think about Stacey Stalker Boy, I want you to see this image." He said and the entire front of his body pulled apart, everything inside falling out. Gary would have screamed if he hadn't been so terrified and to Beetlejuice and Stacey's delight they watched as a stain appeared in his pants and since he was being held upside and he already had his own fly open, it started traveling towards his chest. Beetlejuice dropped him, head first back to the concrete.

"Oops." He said and smiled. Gary picked himself up and started running, he'd deal with his headache later. Stacey threw her arms around Beetlejuice and gave him a huge hug and kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you Beej, I was really scared, but making him piss his pants was almost worth it." She said smiling at him. Beetlejuice looked at the girl, worship in her eyes.

"It wasn't a big deal Stace, but you've gotta be careful when you're walkin' in the dark. Everything that goes 'bump in the night' isn't just me ya know." He said. She giggled and slipped her arm through his as they walked back to her dormitory.

"You sure this is gonna work Chloe?" Jordan asked as Chloe typed on the computer.

"Sure I'm sure." She said. "I've gotta type it 'cause Aunt Layla knows our handwriting. She helps us all the time with homework, besides it kinda seems spookier if it's just on the computer right? I mean we can just leave it on and make sure that we don't say anything about it. Hopefully she'll see it." Chloe explained.

"Just make it simple, Uncle Beej doesn't do all that mush stuff." Riley said. Chloe rolled her eyes, boys.

"I just wrote, 'Miss You', does that work?" She asked turning to look at them.

"Guess so, come on and lets get down to the bus." Jordan said. Chloe made sure that the screen saver was turned off so the screen would show all day. Hopefully Aunt Layla would see it before they got home from school or else they'd have to figure out a way to make her see it and that wasn't going to be easy.

Layla watched as the kids walked out of the house to go to the bus stop and just knew that they were up to something. She couldn't figure out what, but it was something. They were always good kids, but coming home right after school to do homework, eating the healthy food she conjured up AND went to the bus stop without whining? Yes, something was up and she sighed to herself. Just a few months ago she would have loved to have this old house to herself, but now? She wanted her family there with he, it was so lonely and she never realized it before. She knew that she could call Beetlejuice back, but to what purpose? He still didn't love her and even if Lydia was right and he did, but didn't know it, she knew that she needed to hear it. She sat down on the couch and looked around the empty place. The computer was on, that was odd. She narrowed her eyes and walked over to take a look. The word processor was on and 'Miss You' was typed on it. She smiled to herself, the kids must have left her a note and that's why they took off. How sweet of them, she walked into the kitchen to make something that they'd enjoy.

Stacey smiled up at Beetlejuice when they walked into her dorm room.

"What's up Stace?" Beetlejuice asked.

"That was so amazing, what you did to Gary. I don't think he'll ever bother me again. At least not if he's stupid." She said, her eyes bright and shinning all the fear gone from them.

"I hope not, that's kinda the point Kiddo." He said and shrugged.

"Why did you, do it for me I mean?" She asked.

"You're a good kid and don't need creeps like that to follow you." He said and felt a little uncomfortable with her standing so close to him. He could smell her perfume and it was sweet and fruity. He sat down on her bed and clicked on the television, trying to distract himself.

"You wouldn't have done that, I don't think, when you were here the first time. Why won't you tell me what happened while you were gone?" She asked. He ignored her and kept flipping the channels. She didn't even have to say anything and he thought of Layla. He wondered how she was doin' with the kids, Lydia and Sloane. Did she miss him as much as he missed her? Probably not or else she woulda zapped him back there and jumped his bones. He wanted to give a lopsided grin thinking about that., but instead he groaned and wanted to put his head down between his legs just thinking about her made him feel sick and thinking about her in bed made him feel dead. He realized that he hadn't felt dead ever since he met her, he felt alive and great with her and he missed that feeling.

"Hello, you there?" Stacey asked waving her hand in his face.

"Huh? Oh, nothin' special happened Stace." He muttered.

"Yeah, I believe that." She said and rolled her eyes. "Come on and tell me, was it a woman? Did you fall in love?" She asked and smiled.

"Lay off Stace, it's none of your damned business anyway." He said and kept his eyes on the television, not seeing the screen.

"Geez, sorry I asked." She muttered and turned away. Beetlejuice looked at her back and knew she was pissed off.

"Oh hell." He said and turned it off to look at her. "Look Stace, yeah something' happened while I was gone, but I don't want to talk about it. Can you understand that?" He asked her. Stacey turned to look at him and sighed.

"Yeah, I can understand that Beej." She said and turned away from him again. Shit, just what he needed, more female problems.

"Come on Stace, don't be like that." He said. "You were near worshiping me, I liked that, let's go back to that." He said smiling. She whipped around to look at him, her jaw fell open.

"I was not worshiping you. You wish I was." She said, trying to keep the smile from her face.

"Yeah sure, whatever you have to tell yourself to make yourself feel better." He said. She just shoved him and he chuckled at her, she was turning pink from embarrassment and it was cute.

Jordan, Chloe and Riley all walked into the house and sniffed the air in unison. Layla had been baking all day and she came out to greet them.

"Hey guys, how was school?" She asked, smiling. They all smiled at her, happy to see that she wasn't crying or sad.

"It was school, what did you bake? It smells great." Riley said, dropping his backpack on the floor.

"A cake, chocolate actually. I wanted to thank you for the note this morning. That was really nice and you didn't have to." She said. They all had to hide their smiles when she looked at them.

"What message Aunt Layla?" Jordan asked, keeping a straight face. Layla raised an eyebrow and looked at them.

"The one on the computer." She said.

"We weren't on the computer this morning." Chloe said and had to force herself to keep from giggling.

"Then who…" She asked. No, he couldn't, could he? Her mind was racing as she thought of Beetlejuice. Could he have sent that message and did that mean that he really missed her? She wanted to sing, but she had to force herself to be still. It was too soon, much too soon to let him know that she wanted him back.

"Can we have a piece of cake Aunt Layla?" Riley asked, smelling the chocolate in the air and hearing his stomach growl.

"Huh? Oh, after dinner tonight." She said as she thought.

"But…" He whined and Jordan had to drag him toward the stairs.

"We'll just go upstairs and play a little bit." Jordan said and Chloe followed her brothers up the stairs.

"It's working." He said once he closed the door, they all couldn't contain themselves and burst into laughter, falling on the bed.

"Yeah, but she still won't call him back. I think we'll have to talk to Uncle Beej first and explain everything. He might want to know what we did for him before Aunt Layla asks him about it and we get him into more trouble." Chloe said. Jordan and Riley nodded at their sister and Jordan took out his notebook.

"What should we do next? The flower?" Jordan asked as he checked off the notes he made.

"Yeah, but it has to be something nice, can we sneak into town to get a flower?" Chloe asked.

"I don't know, we might have to miss the bus. Do you think Aunt Layla would be mad?" Jordan asked.

"Yeah she'd be mad. She can't come and get us remember Dork?" Chloe said and sighed.

"Well there's that store next to the school. Maybe we can sneak off before school starts and get one. How much money do you have?" Jordan asked and they all went to their piggy banks to count.

"Five dollars if we count all the pennies. Too bad Mom didn't give us our allowance before she left." Jordan said and frowned.

"That should be enough to get just one nice flower don't you think?" Chloe asked.

"What kind?" Riley asked as he pushed all his pennies toward the pile.

"A pretty one." Chloe said and smiled.

"How are we going to get it into the house without Aunt Layla seeing it?" Riley asked.

"Aunt Layla's been really preoccupied lately, maybe she won't notice if we have something behind our backs." Jordan said.

"I think she'd notice that. Why don't you get her busy on something and I'll sneak in and go up the stairs before she can see me. Oh, I can come through the back door." Chloe said.

"Okay, let's hope that this works." Jordan said.


	35. I Need You

Phew, LONG chapter. :) Okay I've been working on this ALL DAY LONG!!!

Don't really know what else to say except for I hope that you enjoy it and let me know if you do :)

Lacey

* * *

Chloe, Jordan and Riley got off of the bus and headed away from the school. They had fifteen minutes before their classes started and they hoped that no one would notice that they weren't on the playground. 

"There's the store, let's go before on of the playground teacher's sees us." Jordan said. They all crossed the street and headed for the small grocery store.

"What about this, a rose." Chloe asked picking up a pink one and smelling it.

"It's nice, but I don't think that Aunt Layla likes pink. I like the rose though." Jordan said as they looked around.

"What are you kids doing here?" An elderly woman asked them as she came up. They all turned to look at her, a little guilty that they were caught so quickly.

"We wanted to get our aunt a rose because she's been sad lately." Jordan explained. Why lie to someone you didn't even know?

"I see, that's a lovely thought. Well roses mean something, did you know that?" She asked and they all shook their heads.

"What do you mean?" Jordan asked.

"Every color of a rose means something different. For instance, a pink rose, like the one you've got there means thank you, where as a, say yellow rose, means friendship." She explained.

"So what would be love? We love our aunt." Chloe asked.

"Well there are different kinds of love, but the easiest one to recognize is a red rose. That means 'I love you'." She said. Jordan, Chloe and Riley looked at each other and smiled.

"We'll get that one. Thanks for the help." Jordan said as he pulled a single red rose out and they ran to the cashier to pay and hoped they wouldn't be too late.

"You keep the rose Chloe, we don't want it to get ruined." Jordan said when they crossed back to the school. Chloe nodded and held the rose as if it were more precious than a diamond.

"Do you think we should call Uncle Beej before school lets out? Tell him what we are doing? Aunt Layla might be so happy with the flower that she'll want to call him back tonight." Chloe said.

"I don't know, do you think we should?" Jordan asked.

"Maybe, but don't tell him about the flower, lets have that be a surprise." Riley said.

"Okay, today at afternoon recess we'll call him and explain what we did. I hope that Aunt Layla wants him back. Wait a minute…you know what grown ups do when they make up?" He asked.

"They always want to be _alone_." Chloe said and rolled her eyes.

"Right, so Chloe why don't you see if you can go to a Samantha's house tonight for a sleep over and we'll see if we can go over to Mark and Matthew's house." Jordan said.

"On a school night? Without any warning?" Chloe asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Try, if we can't then we'll give the rose to Aunt Layla and tell her it was from us. She'll be happy and we'll just have to come up with another idea. We want them to be happy when they get back together." Jordan said. He was half tempted to tell his brother and sister what went on, after all, he was ten, but he didn't risk it.

"Okay, I hope I can get Samantha's mom to let me stay over. This idea is too good to waste it." Chloe said and ran off to her classroom.

"You talk with Matt Riley and I'll see Mark in class. Tell him that our we want to stay over because our aunt and uncle are making up." Jordan said.

"Okay." Riley said and took off. Jordan heard the last bell and sighed. He'd get in trouble for being late, but it was worth it if everything happened the way he hoped it would happen. He had a feeling that Uncle Beej loved Aunt Layla, but he didn't say it. Maybe he'd ask Uncle Beej that if they called him this afternoon. Right now Miss Jorgenson was going to be mad and he needed to talk to Mark. Chloe was right, this idea was too good to waste it on them. Besides they didn't have money for another flower.

Stacey looked at the exhausted ghost who was watching television. She never knew ghosts could be exhausted, but Beetlejuice certainly was. His eyes seemed more sunken in than before and he had a hallowed look about him. If she didn't know any better she'd say he was love sick, but he'd never admit to that. She felt bad for him, whoever did this to him certainly did a number, but she didn't know why he didn't want to talk about it. He still joked with her, a little, but he wasn't the same sleazy ghost that she had started to like when he was here the first time. He changed, a lot and now she missed the old one.

"Beej, you wanna do something' tonight? I know it's the middle of the week so there's not a lot of stuff is going on, but I don't have a morning class tomorrow and it'd be fun to go out. I could use a drink and I know you could use a drink too." She said. Beetlejuice turned to look at her, his eyes slightly blurry from not being able to sleep. Not that he really needed to sleep, he was dead after all, but sleeping tended to keep his energy up and he felt the drain. He missed Layla being next to him, cuddling up to him in her sleep. She never snored, but sometimes if she was really out she'd breath deeply and blow her breath across his chest. He missed that.

"Sure Stace, I could use a drink." He said and got up. "Or a dozen." He said under his breath.

"What was that Beej?" Stacey asked grabbing her purse.

"Huh? Oh nothin' Stace, let's go to a bar." He said and she tucked her hand in his arm as they left.

They walked into a bar close to the campus, filled with college students who were drinking beer. Beetlejuice felt old walking into the room filled with barely legal boys drinking the piss warm beer that they were serving.

"Can I get a strawberry daiquiri?" Stacey asked as they sat down at the bar. Beetlejuice looked around the bar and frowned. It felt clean, even though there was shit on the floor, no smoke drifting in the air. It didn't seem like a bar, just a restaurant with shitty food and alcohol.

"What about you Pops?" The bartender asked.

"S'cuse me?" Beetlejuice asked, narrowing his eyes at the bartender, who couldn't have been more than twenty five himself.

"What do ya want to drink?" He asked.

"Whiskey, straight up." He said and scowled.

"Wanna get drunk tonight huh?" He asked getting out a shot glass and filling it up.

"Did anything in my appearance say that I wanted to fucking talk to you asshole?" Beetlejuice asked.

"Chill Beej, he was just making conversation." Stacey said and gave an apologetic look at the bartender. Beetlejuice just downed his shot and ordered another.

"Take it easy Beej, we just got here." Stacey said. She'd never seen him like this and she was starting to get a little worried about him.

"Don't worry 'bout me Stace. I can take more than you think." He said and downed the drink, nodding for the bartender. "Ya know what Sparky, just leave the fuckin' bottle." He said and snatched it out of his hand. "Get me a bigger fuckin' glass." He said. Stacey just looked at the bartender and shrugged.

"Get him a bigger glass Brian." She said.

"You know that asshole?" He asked pointing behind him and looking at her.

"Sure, he is in one of my classes, this is just a part time job for him so lay off, he's nice." Stacey said.

"Whatever." He said and grabbed the tumbler that Brian set out.

"You gonna be okay with him Stace?" He asked.

"Get the fuck outta here." Beetlejuice sneered and poured himself a glass and gulped it.

"I'll be fine Brian, he's with me." Stacey said. Brian nodded, but Beetlejuice saw his hand signals for her to call him if she needed anything.

"I told ya to get the fuck outta here Boy." He said. Stacey rolled her eyes and dragged him away from the bottle.

"Let's dance Beej." She said. He just shrugged and let her lead him out to the floor. Stacey went over to the jukebox and plunked a quarter in, making a selection. She went back to Beetlejuice and put her arms around his waist. He breathed her in and let the whiskey relax his mind for him. He closed his eyes while they slowly moved and he listened to the music.

"_ And for all you know  
__This could be  
__The difference between what you need  
__And what you wanna be  
__Yeah, what you wanna be"_

It reminded him of Layla and he felt like he'd been kicked in the gut. He stopped dancing and Stacey looked up at him.

What's the matter Beej?" She asked.

"What the fuck do they know?" He spat out. Stacey raised an eyebrow.

"Who know about what?" She asked.

"Goddamned song, I know what I fuckin' want." He slurred, the whiskey finally working on him.

"What's that?" Stacey asked. Beetlejuice looked at the pretty girl in front of him and shook his head. She was right here and willing, Layla was gone and she wasn't.

"I need a drink, two drinks." He said and stumbled off the floor and back to the bar.

"Why two drinks?" Stacey asked following him. She'd only taken a few sips of her daiquiri while he had downed half of the whiskey bottle he opened. Beetlejuice sat down and poured himself another shot.

"One to remember and another to forget." He slurred and drank it down. "Damn it come on Stace, let's get the fuck outta here." He said and dragged her out.

"Where are we going?" Stacey asked as he hauled her out. He pulled her up to him and kissed her, hard. Stacey was surprised and tasted the alcohol on his breath, but she gave into his strength and felt her knees give.

"Back to your place Sweetheart. I think we both need to get fucked." He said and kissed her again before she replied. He thought of Layla and felt guilt rushing through him. He grabbed Stacey by the back of the head and deepened the kiss even more.

Stacey pushed off of him and had to catch her breath. She'd never been kissed like that, ever and she liked it.

"Jesus Beej, I need to breathe." She said.

"Let's go, I need to fuck you right now." He said and she heard the desperation in his voice. Even drunk he still thought about Layla and maybe getting Stacey in bed would fix that, he could only hope it did. He couldn't feel like this for the rest of eternity.

Stacey knew that she should've stopped him, but after that kiss, she didn't really want to control herself around him. They made it back to her dorm room and it wasn't two seconds before she closed the door when he grabbed her and threw her down on the bed, landing on top of her.

"Beej, you're goin' really fast." She said between the kisses that he was giving her.

"Don't make me stop Stace, I can't take it tonight. I need you tonight more than I need her." He said. Stacey wanted to ask who the her was, but he ripped at her top and tore it off of her. She wanted to squeak, but he was powerful and commanding. She'd never had that experience before and she felt like the old Beetlejuice was shinning through, she forgot to think about the fact that he was drunk.

Beetlejuice wanted to get Layla out of his mind, forever. Stacey was there, he knew, even in his drunken state that if he had sex with her that she would agree to marry him. He could see it in her eyes and he'd be free. Free from everything, the chains of being summoned and the chains of Layla. He tore at his shirt and Stacey reached up to help him get it off. He bent down and took one of her breasts in his mouth.

Stacey arched her back and let out a moan. She'd been with her old boyfriend, but this, this was something new all together.

"God Beej, this is great." She said and ran her fingers in his hair.

"You know it always is Layla." He said and stopped. Stacey pushed him off of her and he sat back on his heels.

"Layla's the girl isn't she?" Stacey asked. Beetlejuice looked at her, the fog of alcohol disappearing.

"No, she's not the girl." He said.

"Yes she is." Stacey said and reached for her bra.

"She is not a fucking girl Stacey. She's a fucking ghost." He spat out.

"Ghost?"

"Yes, a ghost that turned my world upside down." He said and was disgusted with himself.

"Do you love her?" Stacey asked. Beetlejuice looked at her as she put her clothes back on. He knew he was shirtless and didn't care.

"No, I don't love her and that's what got me into this fucking mess in the first place. She told me she loved me and I don't love her."

"You just called me her name."

"You're a good kid, but that doesn't mean I love her."

"It's something more than sex." Stacey said.

Jordan waited for Chloe and Riley in the corner of the playground, away from everyone else. He paced back and forth while he waited and finally saw them running up to him.

"Sorry, but I had to wait for Riley." Chloe said. "I asked Samantha and called her mom at lunch. She said it was okay cause our aunt and uncle are having problems." Chloe said, a big grin on her face.

"Great, Mark said we could come over too." He talked to his mom and she said it was okay that we come over. She'll pick Riley and I up after school cause I said we had to tell Aunt Layla."

"Good that's what I told Samantha. We can go home, place the flower on there and leave." Chloe said.

"Great, so should we call him?" Jordan asked. Chloe and Riley looked around to see if anyone was watching and nodded.

"Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice." He said and Beetlejuice appeared in between them.

"Uncle Beej!" They said and threw their arms around him. Beetlejuice looked around and wanted to be angry, he'd been drinking ever since last night, but seeing the kids as they hugged him made him smile.

"Hey kids, long time no see." He said and gave a little hiccup.

"Are you okay Uncle Beej?" Riley asked.

"Sure Kiddo. Never better, now what's up?" He asked.

"We did a few things that Aunt Layla thinks you did." Jordan said. Beetlejuice frowned at him.

"Like what?" He slurred.

"Like we sent her a note saying that you miss her." Chloe said. Beetlejuice nodded and looked at her, weaving a little bit.

"I do miss her." He said. "I miss you guys too, and your mom and Sloane. How are they? Does Layla miss me?"

"She's been crying a whole lot since you left. She sings sad songs and cries." Chloe said. Beetlejuice wanted to jump for joy hearing that. She did miss him, she was just being stubborn.

"Mom and Sloane went on a business trip. They'll be gone all week." Riley said. Beetlejuice looked at him. Layla managed to pull it off, the little minx, he knew she could do it.

"We're putting a flower on her bed today after school and she'll think it's from you then we're leaving. We are hoping that she'll call you back." Jordan explained.

"You guys are so smart." He said and wrapped his arms around them and gave them a giant hug.

"Thanks Uncle Beej, we just want you and Aunt Layla to be happy again." Jordan said hugging him back hard. The bell rang and all three of them looked at him.

"We gotta go Uncle Beej, how do we send you back?" Jordan asked.

"Just say my name three more times kids and pray that your aunt wants me back enough." He said.

"Beetlejuice," Jordan said.

"Beetlejuice," Chloe said.

"Beetlejuice." Riley said and they waved good bye, their fingers crossed as he disappeared.

Layla sat in the living room, her legs tucked underneath her as she read her book when Jordan and Riley walked in.

"Hi guys, where's your sister?" She asked and set down the copy of American Ghost Stories.

"She's talking with one of her friends, she'll be up in a minute." Jordan said.

"I see." Layla said and smiled as they sat down next to her.

"So how was your day Aunt Layla?" Jordan asked.

"It was fine…relaxing." She said.

"Whatcha reading'?"

"Ghost stories, it's rather funny actually." She said picking up the book.

"Are you in it?"

"Sadly no, but let's see, where's a good one." She said and flipped through the pages. Jordan saw Chloe sneak in through the kitchen out of the corner of his eye and had to keep a smile to himself as she dashed up the stairs as quietly as possible. Chloe held onto the rose as lightly as possible and gently set it down on Layla's pillow. She looked at it and smiled, it was pretty sitting there and she hoped it would work. She went back downstairs and peaked around the corner to make sure that Riley and Jordan were still distracting Aunt Layla before she slipped back outside to walk around and come through the front door.

"There you are Chloe. I was beginning to wonder." Layla said.

"Hi Aunt Layla, just talking with someone." She said and sat down next to Jordan.

"Aunt Layla is showing us some ghost stories." Jordan said. Chloe smiled and Layla continued to read.

Beetlejuice felt the flutters in his stomach as he waited and prayed that the kids were right and that Layla would bring him back. Stacey had gone to her classes and hadn't said a word to him last night. He didn't remember much, but what he did remember was that she was angry and hurt, even though she didn't show it to him. He was pacing back and forth when Stacey walked in.

"Oh, thought you'd be gone by now." She said dully.

"Listen Stace, you were right, I am different." He started. Stacey just continued to stare at him. "Okay, when I was here before I wanted to marry you so I could get free. That's true, hell, you're a goddamned beautiful woman. I met Layla after that and well, things changed."

"I know."

"Don't sound so down Stace. You deserve a good guy. What about that guy at the bar." He said, remembering a flash of a face.

"Brian? The bartender?" Stacey asked.

"Yeah, he likes you I could tell. You should go out with that kid." He said.

"So why are you still here?" Stacey asked.

"I need Layla to call me to her. I can't go to her." He explained. Stacey looked into his face. She saw something there that wasn't there before and he couldn't function without this girl, Layla. He'd proven that by his actions. She sighed and nodded. He put his arms around her and gave her a squeeze.

"Now it's just a waiting game to see if she calls me."

"Well I hope she does call you Beej, you deserve to have someone too and it sounds like this Layla person is it." She said. He said that he didn't love her, but Stacey had a strong feeling that he just didn't realize it yet. Beetlejuice just nodded, agreeing with Stacey. He hoped like hell that she would call him and call him soon.

"Aunt Layla, where's your other ghost book?" Chloe asked, anxious for Layla to find the rose.

"It's in my bedroom I think." Layla said, furrowing her brow, trying to remember.

"Can you get it. I like the stories out of there." Chloe said batting her lashes. Layla looked at the little girl and smiled. She got up and stretched before walking up the stairs.

"Good thinking Chloe, it's getting close to when we're supposed to be picked up." Jordan whispered.

"I know that's why I had to say something." Chloe whispered back.

Layla opened up her room and spotted the rose immediately. She stood rooted to her spot seeing the dark red of the rose against the crisp white of her sheets. Did Beetlejuice do that? There was no other explanation for it. She smiled and picked up the delicate flower, laying the bloom against her lips and breathed the perfumed petals in. Red, it meant something, but she figured he thought she'd like the red instead of any other color. She ignored the fact that it meant 'I love you'. She turned to dash down the steps, the book forgotten to show the kids when she heard the a car horn.

"What's that?" She asked. Jordan, Chloe and Riley turned to look at her, their backpacks in their hands.

"We're staying over at some friends Aunt Layla." Jordan said. "We were gonna tell you, but we got so interested in the stories." He explained and hoped she bought it.

"That's pretty Aunt Layla." Chloe said pointing to the flower. Layla forgot her thoughts of confusion and smiled.

"I think Beetlejuice gave it to me." She said, saying his full name. The kids just smiled and turned to walk out the door.

"Bye Aunt Layla, we'll see you tomorrow." Chloe said and closed the door. Layla tapped the rose against her mouth. She'd already said his name once, two more times and he'd be there. He missed her, the note and the flower showed her that, but did she really want him to know that she missed him so much? She sighed and went to sit down at the couch, tucking her skirt underneath her and stared out the window, watching the kids leave to head off to their friends house. She had a sneaking suspicion that they had a hand in this as well, a heavy hand at that, but she couldn't blame them. They just wanted her to be happy and she was happy with Beetlejuice. She wondered if he realized he loved her, but she had to shove that thought out of her mind. If he didn't then she'd be crushed. Could she accept that? She sighed and didn't know. She supposed the only way to really know was to call him up and see what he says to her. Only then would she know how he felt. Love or not, if he felt strongly about her then it would show. Wouldn't it? She'd never been loved before and didn't know what it looked like, but surely a person should know if the other cares about them.

Layla took in a deep breath, let it out slowly and closed her eyes.

"Beetlejuice, Beetlejuice." She finished. Beetlejuice appeared and wanted to throw himself on her he was so happy. She was sitting on the couch, her eyes closed and looking even paler than usual.

"Thank God you called Babes." He said and she snapped open her eyes. He loved the shock in those deep purple eyes of hers.

"Beej, it's been…" She started, but felt her throat close up on her and she shook her head.

"I know Babes, listen I don't ever want to go away again." He said and ran his hand through his hair making it stand on end. Layla looked at him and felt the tears rising up and filling her eyes. "Don't do that Babes please." He said.

"I'm sorry, I'm trying really hard." She said and sniffed.

"You gotta know right now Layla." He said and she snapped to attention hearing her real name from him.

"What is it Beej?" She asked and braced herself. Beetlejuice watched as Layla prepared for the worst and he hated it. He hated the fact that he couldn't tell her what she wanted to her, but he hated it more that he couldn't seem to function without her. He ran his hand through his hair again.

"Fuck it."

"What is it Beej?" She asked again. "You're scaring me here. You hate my guts now or what?" She asked, the tears shining in her eyes, ready to fall at a moments notice.

"Fuck no, that's the last thing on my mind. Shit, okay here it goes." He said and took a deep breath. "I don't love you Layla and it's not you it's me." He said quickly before she could run out. Layla took the blow, but tried to not let it show.

"Go on." She whispered and he heard the hurt in her voice.

"Fuck," He said and looked up. "Fine, when you sent me away I went to this other chick I'd been working on before I met you." He started and to his horror, watched as the tears broke the barrier and slipped down her face. "NO Layla don't think that. Don't even come near thinking that." He said and wanted to run toward her, but she didn't say anything and he could tell she was struggling with keeping her composure together. "I realized that, fuck this is hard." He said, but the look on her face was enough. "I need you Layla, I can't seem to function without you." He finished and looked at her, waiting for her response.

Layla wished that she could dash the tears away, but she didn't dare touch her face. She let them slid down her face. She looked at him, he'd been struggling with the words and she could tell. He was fidgeting and waiting for her to say something. She saw it then, a flicker through the tears. His emerald green eyes softened when he looked at her and then it was gone. She didn't know what it meant, but it was something. She'd take something over nothing with him and she let out a long, quivering sigh.

"I need you too Beej." She said and he was over to her in a second, pulling her up into his arms and crushing her mouth with his, tasting the salty tears and taking in her essence that he'd missed so much.

"God I need you Babes." He said against her mouth. Layla broke the kiss and looked at him. His eyes were wild now and covered in a haze of lust that she fed on.

"I need you too. I need you right now Beej." She said her own passion taking her over.

"God Layla, don't tease." He said. She reached up and bit his ear.

"No teasing, I need to feel you inside of me right now." She said and he lost himself. He wrapped his arms around her legs and lifted her up. She wrapped her legs around him as he carried her and slammed her against the wall. She moaned and kissed him, hard not caring that her lips would be bruised in the morning.

"I've missed you so much." She said and he tore at his zipper while he kept her against the wall.

"I need you too Babes, you have no idea how much I need you." He said. He finally unzipped his pants and without any warning drove himself into her, filling her all the way. Layla moaned and felt him stretch her.

"God Beej, it feels like it's been so long." She said in a hoarse whisper. Beetlejuice didn't say anything, but rammed into her, deeper and deeper until he could feel her womb and felt her shudder. He stayed there for a second and kissed her hard on the mouth, slamming her head against the wall. Layla could only moan from deep in her throat as he pushed deeper into her, thrusting as hard as he could to reach her, the deepest part of her that was only reserved for him. She felt him pushing and she welcomed it. Anything to have his touch and she didn't want loving and tender, she wanted the heat and the passion from him. She wanted to know that he had been starving without her and now he was going mad with hunger and she felt the pressure building up inside her as he let out everything he had and she took it. She wasn't sure where she ended and he began and she wanted to feel that way forever. It wasn't long before she felt herself freeze and she let out a scream so powerful the walls shake and the front window shatter from the force. Beetlejuice heard that sound and he fed on it. Only Layla could move him so much to make him forget about everything else and wait for her to scream before he had his own orgasm. He let her shudder in her after shocks and gave one last shove until he felt himself freeze up and shouted to the ceiling, letting her take everything he had to give her.

Layla felt the pressure lessening in her and she held on letting her breathing come back to normal, the pleasure waves still coursing through her body.

"God I missed you." She said and loved the feeling of him inside her. He looked at her and smiled giving her a kiss on her bruised lips that were already swelling.

"You have no idea how much I missed you Babes." He said and held her there. He didn't want to leave her body, but his own strength was giving out on him and he held onto her as he slumped down to the floor. Layla laughed gently and went down with him, her skirt hiked up around her waist and underwear torn to shreds.

"It's a good thing the kids left for the night." She said and sighed against his chest.

"The kids are gone?" He asked, they hadn't entered his mind until now. Layla just nodded and smiled, closing her eyes.

"Thank you for the rose and message Beej. It was so sweet." She said. Beetlejuice smiled and kissed the top of her head with his own swollen lips.

"Had to show you that I wanted ya." He said and looked up to see the rose where Layla had been sitting. Fuck, it was a red rose. Did she know what that meant? She hadn't said anything about it, so maybe she didn't know that a red rose meant love. She just said thank you and accepted him back into her arms.

"It was thoughtful Beej and I needed that." She murmured and he heard the sleep in her voice.

"I'm just a thoughtful kinda guy Babes." He said.

"Hmm, speaking of which, you said you were with another girl while you were gone?" She said, her eyes still closed.

"Yeah, I could've done it Babes, but I couldn't make myself. Like I said before, that's what happened." He said.

"Said what before?" She asked, opening one eye to look at him. He looked down at her and smiled.

"Don't make me say it again." He said and winced at the thought.

"Say what?" She asked, her smile broadening.

"You little hell raiser." He said and smiled at her. She just kept smiling and he laid her down on her back and felt himself growing harder again at the touch of her. He slowly unbuttoned her shirt, wanting to see all of her and she let him. "I said that I needed you." He said and bent down to take her breast in his mouth. Layla moaned and arched her back, running her hands through his hair.

"I need you too." She said in her moan.

* * *

Just as a side note: There are a few lyrics in here. The quote in italics is from the song "The Difference" by Matchbox Twenty and the line: "One drink to remember and another to forget." That Beetlejuice says is a line from "Grace is Gone" By the Dave Matthews Band. Both songs are awesome and fit extrordinarily well with this story if you want to listen to them or look at the lyrics. Not to mention they are some of my favorite songs as well ;) 


	36. Checking Up

Yeah I know that it's been a while since I've updated, but things are kinda crazy right now. Working on 3 stories, plus a special project. Art work, Work, Getting ready for school. Crazy, crazy. But tonight I hit a stride with this story and I was able to type up some pages for it.

Anyway just some quick notes: I've offically changed my website to my Deviant Art page where I do A LOT of Beetlejuice work. I'm trying to work on a "cover" for this story now, as well as my other stories. Also I put updates on my profile as well stating what I'm doing and where I'm at with my stories, so you can usually get a pretty recent update on their.

So, enough about me on with the show!

Enjoy and as always, let me know what you're thinkin'.

Lace

* * *

Beetlejuice loved that sound from her. He didn't think anything else could make him think about another person, but Layla's moan did. He looked up to see her eyes closed and the marks where her tears had dried. He hated it when she cried and he saw the pain in her eyes. Those exotic eyes should never be filled with anything other than lust, passion or mischief. He smiled to himself and gently pulled himself up to kiss away the tear marks down her cheeks, washing away any of the bad memories.

Layla was shocked at the intimate gesture, but she didn't want to read too much into it. It was probably just a heat of the moment type of thing that caught her off guard. She opened her eyes up and smiled at him, gently running her fingers through his hair. He smiled down at her and started to climb out of his own clothes. Neither one of them gave a second thought to the fact that the window was shattered and they were in the middle of the living room. Beetlejuice was completely focused on Layla and she was completely focused on him.

Beetlejuice smiled and kissed her swollen lips marking a trail down her body until he reached her hips and rested there.

"When's the last time I made you scream?" He asked.

"You mean besides a few minutes ago? A few days ago when I sent you away." Layla said and smiled. He shook his head and parted her legs, his tongue lightly licking her and she sucked in her breath.

"That's not the type of scream I was talking about." He said and smiled. She just looked at him and blinked, he laughed softly at her and bent down, wanting to taste her again. He'd missed that, everything about her, but especially the way she tasted to him, light and delicate with steel in her.

Layla threw her head back and started to heave as he slid his tongue inside of her.

"Beej…" She started, but her sentence died in her throat as he looked at her and smiled, sliding a finger inside of her. Layla couldn't take much more as she started to quiver and buck at his touch. She had missed him so much, especially during the nights. "Oh God." She said and threw her head back, screaming again. He loved hearing that ring in his ears and came over her, sliding inside of her as slowly as he could, enjoying her waves of pleasure as she took him in deep again.

Lydia smiled at Sloane as he slept in their hotel bed. They hadn't left their room since they had been there and she had to admit that the sex was better each time they did it. Lydia would have to remember to give Layla a big hug as a thank you for making them go on this trip. She hadn't realized how much she had missed being with a man. Not just in bed, but in general. It had been years since she'd felt this type of connection with Jonathon and it felt nice to have it again.

She thought about the kids and felt a little worried about them. Not that she didn't trust Layla, but she could see the sadness setting into her eyes when they had left and she hoped that Layla wouldn't let it distract her from her children. She glanced at Sloane for another second before she picked up her cell phone, just one quick call wouldn't hurt. She slipped outside of the hotel room and outside. She let the phone ring and started to get worried when no one picked up after the tenth call. She knew that Layla was there, she couldn't be any other place. The realization hit her that maybe Layla had slipped back into her cold depression and she felt a shiver of fear course through her. She slammed her phone down and flipped it back open to dial the number again. She'd just keep calling until someone picked up or she'd go wake Sloane up and they'd leave.

"What the fuck is it?" A very male voice asked.

"Beej?" Lydia asked and took the phone away from her ear to look at it.

"Yeah? Who is this?" He roared, angry at her. Lydia blinked a few times, unable to think of anything to say.

"It's Lydia." She said after a few moments of silence.

"Lyds? What are you doin' callin' here? You should be doin' what me and Layla were doin' before you interrupted us." He spat at her. Lydia smiled, she couldn't help herself.

"Could I talk to Layla for a moment?" She asked.

Beetlejuice stared at the phone and then back at Layla who was smiling at him, wonderfully naked and had moved to lay on her side, her rich hair falling down to cover her breasts.

"Who is it Beej?" She asked.

"It's Lyds and she wants to talk to ya." He said and handed her the phone. He would have rather slammed the phone against the side of the wall, but Layla had insisted that they get it since it could have been Lydia and damn it she was right.

"Are you having as good of a time as Beej and I are?" Layla asked getting off the bed and reaching for a robe. Beetlejuice just climbed back into their bed and sulked. He wanted to make up for the days that he was gone and he couldn't do that if Lyds was going to call and have girl talk.

"Very much so, I was just checking in, but I see that it seems like everything worked itself out there." Lydia said and smiled.

"Yes, everything worked itself out." She said and smiled looking back at Beetlejuice who sulked.

"Did he say that he loved you?" Lydia asked before she was able to stop herself. The smile that Layla did have flickered and she saw Beetlejuice see her do that. She turned and walked out of the room and down the hallway.

"No, he didn't, but he said that he needs me. It's enough." Layla said. Even over the phone Lydia could tell that it wasn't enough, but she couldn't say anything. If Beetlejuice was back then that meant that Layla wouldn't be depressed and she could enjoy the rest of the week without worry. She knew that Beetlejuice would do everything in his power and that was a lot, to keep himself from being banished again. She did wonder why he didn't just say that he loved Layla, even if he thought that it was a lie. It was strange knowing him the way she did that he hadn't thought about that yet. Maybe she'd pull him aside and ask him about it when she got home.

"So everything is all right over there?" She asked.

"Yes, the kids left last night and I think that they had a pretty big hand in getting us back together, but they'll be home today after school." Layla said.

"All right, I'll give you a call then to talk to them. I miss them more than I should." Lydia said and heard Layla's laugh ring out on the other end of the phone. It felt good, even to Lydia to hear that sound, it seemed much too long without having Layla laugh.

Lydia hung up the phone and turned to walk back inside to see Sloane awake and smiling at her.

"The kids okay?" He asked and stretched.

"How did you know that's who I called?" She asked and sat down on the edge of the bed. He just closed his eyes and smiled.

"You're a mother, of course you called the check up on your children." He said simply.

"The kids are fine. Layla and Beej are back together." She said and smiled when he opened up his eyes.

"Get the fuck outta here." He said and Lydia had to laugh. Sloane was sounding more and more like Beetlejuice every day and she found herself liking it from him.

"It's true, Beej was the one who answered the phone and apparently I interrupted something." She said and Sloane laughed.

"That's nothing new coming from them, but if you'd like to take their lead…" He said. It didn't take Lydia more than two seconds before she had hopped into the bed and they laughed together as they made their way underneath the sheets.

Layla walked back into the bedroom and smiled at Beetlejuice. She blinked twice when she saw the look on his face. Something had definitely happened to him while he had been gone, there was an understanding in his eyes that she knew the didn't even realize he had. It made her smile soften as she looked at him before it was gone.

"So what did Lyds have to say Babes?" He asked.

"She was just checking up. I'm actually surprised that she hasn't called sooner." Layla said and climbed back into bed.

"Sloane must have kept her underneath him since they arrived. I doubt he knows any other positions." Beetlejuice said. Layla laughed and pulled him on top of her.

"That's the impression that I got. Now, speaking of positions. Where were we?" She asked. Beetlejuice smiled down at her. It didn't take him long to get going again.

Jordan, Chloe and Riley quietly walked into the house. They had prayed that everything had turned out all right last night, but they had no way of knowing until after school was over.

"Is anyone here?" Jordan asked then felt stupid for asking. Of course Aunt Layla would be here, she couldn't leave.

"Hey Kiddos." Beetlejuice said walking in.

"UNCLE BEEJ!" They all cried out and ran to him, dropping their backpacks along the way. He had to laugh when they tackled him down to the ground and squeezed him.

"You couldn't have missed me that much." He said and smiled broadly.

"Yes we did." Chloe said. "Did you and Aunt Layla make up?" She asked. Beetlejuice looked at the little girl and smiled.

"Course we did. You didn't think your Aunt Layla could stay made at me for too long did ya?" He asked.

"We didn't know." Jordan said honestly. He felt a surge of relief knowing that Aunt Layla and Uncle Beej had gotten back together and their plan had worked. He didn't want to see them do what his parents had done.

"Neither did I." Layla said as she walked in and smiled seeing Beetlejuice on the ground surrounded by the kids.

"Nah, I knew that all she needed was a break. Didn't ya Babes?" Beetlejuice asked looking at her. Layla smiled down at him and nodded.

"Apparently that's all I needed." She said and winked at him. "Plus a little reassurance." She added and all three kids looked at each other and had to hide their smiles.

"Can we please play some poker now Uncle Beej, it's been forever since I've played and I need to practice." Riley asked. Beetlejuice threw his head back and laughed.

"It's only been a couple days Kid."

"I know, but that's forever." Riley said and smiled. Beetlejuice held out his hand for Layla and she took it. Without thinking he laced his fingers with hers and waited for her to sit down next to him.

"It's not real poker unless you got five people playin'." He said and snapped a deck of cards in his hand. Layla smiled and wished that Lydia and Sloane were here to see this. She finally felt like everything in her afterlife was coming together and it was a wonderful feeling. She just wished she had a little bit more. Maybe it would come with time, but she had a sliver of doubt.

"Uncle Beej, did you do something to these cards?" Riley said and frowned. He'd already lost the first three hands and he wasn't liking being on the losing side. Beetlejuice laughed at him and shook his head.

"Just plain ol' playin' cards Kiddo." He said.

"Yeah, I think I'll get my own cards, just in case." He said and got up. Everyone laughed and then froze when they heard the door opening.

"What's going on?" Chloe asked, scared at the thought of someone entering their house without knocking.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO MY HOUSE?" A voice shrieked. "WHO ARE YOU?" Layla and Beetlejuice watched as Riley flew back into the living room, white as they were and flung himself around Layla's waist.

"Layla, grab the kids." Beetlejuice said getting up to his feet and walked towards the voice. Layla pulled Jordan and Chloe to her as they huddled on the couch together.

Rowena walked in and her jaw dropped looking around at all of them.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" Rowena, Beetlejuice and Layla asked at the same time.

"This is my house." Rowena said after a few moments of shock.

"Since fuckin' when?" Beetlejuice asked. Rowena glared at him, wanting to prove that she wasn't afraid.

"Since I bought this house." She snapped back. "Where is Sloane? Did you kill him and eat him or something? And who are these brats?" She asked. Layla narrowed her eyes and felt the kids huddle closer to her.

"Don't you dare talk to them like that." Layla said, anger clear in her voice.

"I'll talk to them however I please. I thought that you would have been out by now."

"Not yet, but close Rowena." Layla said, feeling the rage start to fill her up and doing nothing to stop it. "What are you doing here?"

"Not that it's any of your business but I am here to get my husband back." Rowena said.

"But you're with our Dad." Jordan said looking at the woman, confusion in his eyes. Rowena turned an indifferent eye towards him.

"There are a lot of things that Jack can give me, but he was more fun as an affair than an actual relationship." Layla pressed one hand against Jordan's ear and her other against Chloe's as she tried to cover the kids' ears, not wanting them to hear what Rowena was spilling out. It was clear that she could have cared less that they were children and she was talking about their father.

"That's enough." Beetlejuice said before Layla could. "Babes, why don't you get the kids into the other room while we have a nice little chat." Beetlejuice said.

"Oh no you don't." Rowena said walking up to him. "We went down that road before and I won't be kicked out of my house again."

"You know, I'm getting really tired of having to tell people this, but this is MY HOUSE." Layla yelled.

"You wish it was. I don't care what kind of voodoo you put on this place, but underneath all this crap, you'll find the color that I painted the walls and the lighting that I put up. This is my house. Now, where is Sloane?" Rowena asked again.

"He's gone." Beetlejuice said. "With their mother." He said and nodded over at the kids. Layla was pulling on them to go out, but it was three to one in their favor and they were holding her in the room. Beetlejuice wanted to laugh as she rolled her eyes and gave up, snapping her fingers and lifting them up into the air.

"That's not fair Aunt Layla." Riley said as he was lifted off of the ground.

"Yeah well, three to one isn't fair either." She said and made them float out. "If you need me Beej, I'll be in the kitchen and don't even think about doing anything fun without me." She said and he nodded to her.

"Wouldn't dream of it Babes." He said and gave her a smile.

"I know that Sloane isn't gone. He wouldn't have left with that slip of a thing." Rowena said.

"You're wrong in that. They are gone and won't be back for a few days. So, Sloane told me that you got yourself knocked up." He said. Rowena felt the color drain out of her face. She hadn't told anyone except Sloane that she was pregnant and he told the whole world?

"Yes, unfortunately I am." She said. Beetlejuice just raised an eyebrow at her.

"If it's so unfortunate, then how come you haven't gotten rid of it already?" He asked. Rowena's jaw fell open as she stared at him and Beetlejuice knew that he'd caught her off guard.

"I…" She started, but couldn't finish. He just shook his head and smiled.

"I think you're faking it. I think you found out that Jack isn't what he was cracked up to be and realized you had a pretty good thing with Sloane. Unfortunately for you, your game isn't going to work. He's fallen hard for Lyds and you're left out in the cold." Beetlejuice said.

"I am not faking, I am pregnant. The doctors said that it was a miracle." She said.

"Well I guess we'll find out soon won't we? Another few months and either you'll start to show or you won't." Beetlejuice said. "In the mean time," He said and snapped the door open, lifting her up.

"Don't you dare." She threatened.

"I'll make sure to tell Sloane that you dropped by." Beetlejuice said and threw her out. Just for the hell of it, right into a mud puddle that he created for her to land in.

"You son of a bitch." She shrieked, her clothes filthy from the mud.

"Yeah, I've been called worse." He said, his voice bored. He knew that she would be back, but hopefully she wouldn't return until Sloane and Lydia came back. Then she would be their problem, not his.


	37. The Time has Come the Walrus Said

I know that it's been a while since I've updated, but I had to sit back and really take a look at this story. It's such a saga that I don't want to mess up on anything, but I think that this blends nicely with everything else. You know, this story really isn't that action packed, no real climax that has happened, but I think that it is so packed full of emotion that it enables the characters to carry the story instead of having a specific plot that occurs.

Anyway here's the next piece of the story. It's getting easier and easier to write longer chapters which is nice. I think so anyway. It's kind of a bummer when you get a new chapter and it's like a page long. This particular one is a little over six pages, but I make it a requirement of any of my stories that they are at least three page chapters minimum.

Okay, on with the show!

Enjoy and I know I don't have to say it, but..let me know what you think.

Lacey

* * *

Layla walked out into the living room when she heard screaming. She put her hands on her hips when she saw Beetlejuice dusting off his hands and had a satisfied smile on his face.

"I told you not to do anything fun without me." She said in a huff. Beetlejuice just smiled at her and gave her a sloppy kiss.

"Sorry Babes, but it had to be done." He said.

"I know, I wanted to help." She whined. "After what she was saying in front of the kids and you wouldn't let me have a catfight? Not fair Beej." She said and stuck her bottom lip out.

"Catfight? I never thought of that, mighta been kinda hot." He said and leered at her. Layla just narrowed her eyes at him and he shrugged.

"Do you always have your mind in the gutter?" She asked.

"Yeah, most of the time." He said and shrugged. She rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but smile at him. He was always true to form.

"What happened?" Chloe asked as all of the kids followed Layla out of the kitchen.

"It was the woman that Dad left Mom for." Jordan said darkly. Layla felt her heart go out for the kids as their faces fell. They had been having such a good time for this to happen to them now.

"I wish you guys didn't have to hear any of that. It wasn't right that Rowena said all of those things in front of you." Layla said looking at them.

"It doesn't matter that much Aunt Layla." Jordan said with a shrug. "Our dad used to say a lot worse with us around, even though Mom tried to get him to stop." Beetlejuice looked at the kids, they all seemed so sad.

"What exactly did your dad used to say?" He asked. Jordan looked up at him and swallowed the tears that had risen up.

"He told me that he wished I had never been born." Jordan said in a low voice. Beetlejuice felt rage at the man, even he wouldn't stoop so low as to kick a kid.

"He told me I was ugly." Chloe squeaked and Layla took the girl in her arms looking at Beetlejuice.

"And he told me I was stupid." Riley said.

"Does your mother know about any of this?" Layla asked, but all three of them just shook their heads.

"We didn't want Mom to know about it. She had enough problems without ours." Jordan said.

"Are we that bad that even our own father doesn't want us around?" Chloe asked, her large eyes looking up at Layla. Layla scooped the girl up in her arms and walked over to the sofa sitting down with Chloe in her lap. Beetlejuice followed and soon they were all sitting on the couch, Chloe in Layla's lap, Riley in Beetlejuice's and Jordan in the middle of them.

"The time has come the walrus said." Jordan said with a little smile. Layla gave a soft laugh and nodded.

"To talk of many things." She finished and all of the kids gave small smiles, knowing the rhyme well. "You guys aren't bad, you're the farthest thing from it." Layla said.

"Your dad's a dick." Beetlejuice said, never one to mince words. Layla gave him a sharp look before she turned back to them.

"What Beej means is that Jack is the kind of guy who wants what he wants. He doesn't want to think about other people."

"Right, he's a dick." He said and shrugged giving the kids a smile when they chuckled a little bit.

"What about the woman that came here? Is she the same way?" Jordan asked.

"Pretty much." Layla said. "She never wanted to tell Sloane that she never wanted children and now she's about to have a child of her own."

"What's going to happen Aunt Layla?" Chloe asked. Layla looked at the little girl and tucked a piece of her hair behind her ear.

"I don't know Sweetie, I really don't." Layla said and looked at Beetlejuice, but he didn't have any answers either.

Lydia and Sloane slid into the house trying not to make any noise. They had gotten back much later than they anticipated and didn't want to wake the children up. Lydia turned to see Layla and Beetlejuice sitting on the sofa in the dark.

"God, you scared me." She said and jumped back.

"We need to talk." Layla said soberly. Lydia raised an eyebrow at that. They looked so serious that Lydia almost felt like she was a teenager caught by her parents.

"What happened?" She asked.

"Rowena came back." Beetlejuice said and Sloane dropped the suitcases he was carrying.

"What?" He asked, his mouth dropping open.

"Yup and scared the shit outta your kids Lyds." Beetlejuice said.

"What do you mean?" Lydia asked sitting down on the coffee table in front of them. Beetlejuice put his arm around Layla's shoulders and she smiled.

"Rowena came in the house and started causing chaos. She told the kids that she had a better time with Jack as an affair than a partner and they began to talk about some things they had kept bottled up for a long time." Layla explained.

"Like what?" Lydia asked feeling ashamed and guilty that she had left.

"Apparently Jack had told them a lot of shit when you weren't around." Beetlejuice spat out, still angry and disgusted.

"Like what?" Lydia asked again, feeling the guilt melting into anger. She knew that Jack would say a few things here and there to the kids, but what had they been hiding from her?

"He told Jordan that he wished that Jordan had never been born." Layla said fighting to control her anger. "He told Chloe that she was ugly and Riley that he was…stupid." She said tightly. Lydia's jaw fell open as she watched them. She could tell that Layla and Beetlejuice were putting themselves on a tight leash to make sure she didn't see their temper.

"I'll kill him." Lydia said simply and she bolted up. "I'm going to kill the bastard." She said and started pacing the room. Layla, Beetlejuice and Sloane watched as Lydia's rage grew by leaps and bounds.

"Lyds, Hon, you gotta calm down, the kids don't need to hear any of this." Sloane said trying to control his own anger, but Lydia wasn't paying attention.

"I just can't believe he would say that to his own children." She said shaking her head.

"It's really not that surprising Lydia." Beetlejuice said. Hearing her full name from him made her pause.

"Why is that?"

"He did have an affair and was cruel enough to throw you and the kids out. I wouldn't put anything past him really." Beetlejuice said and then smiled. "I could take care of him for ya." He said.

"What do you mean?"

"You said you wanted him dead. I could do that no problem." He said. Lydia thought about it and was weighing the possibilities when Sloane shook her out of it.

"Come on Lydia. You don't really want him dead." He said, slightly worried that she did. She looked at him and sighed.

"You're right, it would just be more problems, but there must be something that we can do." She said. Beetlejuice smiled and squeezed Layla's shoulders. She turned to look at him, one eyebrow arching up.

"Why don't you go and take Sloane up, get all the juicy details Babes." He said. Layla wanted to protest, but he just gave her a look that made her sigh.

"All right, but I want everything when you're done." She said getting up and hauling Sloane out of the room.

"Why did he want us to leave?" Sloane asked looking back down the stairs.

"Probably because you'd talk him out of whatever he is thinking of." Layla said and had to keep pulling on Sloane when he'd stop. She finally growled and yanked on him enough that he looked at her. "If you don't move your ass I'm going to lift you up into the air like I had to do the kids, now move." She called.

"All right, fine." He said frowning at her. She rolled her eyes and followed him up.

"Are ya gonna come and sit down?" Beetlejuice asked when Lydia kept standing after Layla and Sloane left. She shot him a look, but sat down anyway.

"What exactly is on your mind?" She asked.

"First, I wanna know how my Babes pulled it off." He said smiling. Lydia smiled at him and shook her head.

"She didn't pull anything off, she just came in and forced us to go away. I'm glad that she did or else I would have never known how much I like Sloane." She said and was unable to keep the blush out of her cheeks.

"Yeah? Well it's about time. You two have had almost as much sexual energy as Layla and me." He said with pride in his voice.

"Speaking of which Beej. Layla said that you still don't love her." She said.

"Oh fuck, come on Lyds." He said angrily.

"No, I'm not accusing you of anything, but what I'm curious about is why don't you just tell her that you love her, whether or not you believe it. That would certainly make her happy and you'd reap the benefits of it." She said. Beetlejuice just looked at Lydia and shook his head.

"Don't you think I've thought about that before? Just tell her that I love her, but then I look at her and I just can't lie to her like that. Layla deserves a lot better than a lie and I won't do that to her." He said.

"What do you mean?"

"Would you want someone to tell you that they loved you and then found out it was a lie?" He asked her.

"Who says she would find out?"

"Layla's not stupid Lyds and you know that. Don't make us a fucking fairytale couple cause we're not. She's definitely a princess, but I'm sure as shit not any goddamned prince." He said.

"To her you are." Lydia said softly. "I understand what you're saying though. Rather give her the truth than a lie, it's commendable Beej and I'm impressed."

"Yeah? Don't get used to it. Now the reason I wanted to talk to ya alone was because I can go to your house, with your help and scare the shit outta Jack if ya want me to." He said.

"What were you thinking about doing?" She asked.

"Oh, little of this and a little of that." He said and shrugged. Lydia looked at him and tapped her chin.

"I'll have to think about that, right now I want to go and give Layla a big hug and go to sleep." She said getting up.

"Sleep?"

"Sleep, sex, whatever." She said and winked. Beetlejuice cackled and got up with her.

"Sounds like a good idea. Ya mind if I give my Babes a hug from ya." He said and winked. Lydia just shook her head and smiled.

"Always in the gutter." She muttered.

"You know it and that little boy of yours is learning." He said.

"I know and you know what? I like it." She said and Beetlejuice cackled some more.

"See we coulda worked it out way back when." He said. "If ya like the copy then you woulda loved the original." He said, but Lydia shook her head.

"Somehow, I don't think so. I think everything turned out the way it was supposed to. I think I will let you give Layla my hug and I'm heading to bed." She said and smiled. "Goodnight Beej." She said.

"See ya, don't wear your boss out too much." He said.

"I'll try not to." She said. Beetlejuice smiled and turned to walk into his bedroom. Layla was waiting dressed in one of her nightgowns and sitting on the bed.

"What did you and Lydia talk about?" She asked.

"Little of this and a little of that Babes." He said and winked at her. "Did I tell you today that you're gorgeous?" He said and she laughed.

"I'm not sure, you might need to tell me again just so I know." She said. He grabbed her and laid her down on the bed. She laughed and put her arms around his neck, lacing her fingers together.

"You're gorgeous then. You know I don't know why you always put on a nightgown. Ya know you end up naked by the end." He said and began to tear at her clothes.

"You need to do a little work before you get the rewards, plus I like the feeling of you tearing my clothes away." She said feeling the night air against her skin as he tore the fabric away. He just laughed at her and kissed her mouth.

Layla cuddled against Beetlejuice in their blankets that had twisted up around them when she heard a light knock on her door. She opened one eye, but when she didn't hear anything else she began to close it again and heard a knock again. She groaned and rubbed her face against Beetlejuice's chest trying to wake up. She slipped out of bed and grabbed her robe, throwing it on before she answered the door.

"Chloe, what are you doing up? It's the middle of the night?" She asked in a yawn.

"I heard something downstairs Aunt Layla." She whispered. Layla took seconds to become fully awake as she pulled the girl to her. Immediately thinking that Rowena had come back.

"Beej?" She called out, but he didn't stir. Layla held onto Chloe's shoulders as she made her way back to the bed and shook Beetlejuice's bare shoulders. "Beej wake up." She called out louder.

"What is it?" He asked opening his eyes and looking at Layla, then Chloe.

"Chloe heard something downstairs, could you go check it out?" She asked. Beetlejuice wanted to groan, but Chloe's eyes were wide as saucers and he sighed.

"Sure I'll go and check it out, but it's probably nothing." He said. Layla smiled at him and pulled Chloe into their bed with her.

"See Sweetie, Uncle Beej will take care of any spooks that are down there that haven't already laid claim to the house." She said and made Chloe giggle. He smiled and snapped a robe for himself. Layla threw the blankets over Chloe's head while he got dressed and she giggled some more.

"Aunt Layla." She called out. Layla looked up and Beetlejuice and blew him a kiss.

"Thanks Beej." She said.

"I expect some reward when I get back." He said and she raised an eyebrow saying nothing, but smiled at him.

Beetlejuice walked downstairs looking around, not really expecting to find anything when he heard a giggle. He stopped and listened hard waiting for something. He heard another giggle and it was coming from the kitchen. He walked into the kitchen and flicked on the light. He busted out laughing when Lydia screamed grabbing her chest and ducked down behind the island in the kitchen and Sloane was standing there naked as the day he was born. Beetlejuice just crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the doorframe and kept a smile on his mouth.

"What are you doing up?" Sloane asked, the color flooding to his face.

"You're little girl got scared when she heard noises from downstairs." He said and Lydia peaked her head above the counter to look at him.

"Guess we were a bit loud huh?" She squeaked, her face completely red.

"Apparently so. I am going back to bed and seeing if I can convince Chloe to return to her bedroom so I can get a little more action." He said and flicked the light back off. "_Goodnight lovebirds_." He called over his shoulder.

"Night." Sloane said awkwardly and looked down at Lydia who was still crouching.

"Guess we gotta be more careful huh?"

"We better be, cause I never want Beej to get a full view again." She said slowly coming back up. Sloane just grabbed her and hauled her against him.

"That view is for me only." He said and she laughed softly as he nibbled her neck.

Layla walked downstairs the next morning, refreshed and smiling. Beetlejuice had come up and convinced Chloe that nothing bad was downstairs, coaxing her back to her bedroom. When they were alone again Beetlejuice told Layla everything and he had to put a pillow over her head before she woke everyone up with her laughter.

"Good morning Lydia, did you have a nice sleep?" She asked when she walked into the kitchen and saw Lydia sipping a cup of coffee. Lydia chocked on her sip and looked up. Layla just laughed and sat down across from her.

"Yeah, sleep." She said and was unable to conceal a smile.

"You gave your daughter quite a scare." She said and snapped herself a cup of coffee, taking a sip.

"I didn't know that we were so loud."

"Yeah, an empty room tends to echo." Layla said and winked. "So are we going to have your children using our bedroom door as a revolving door during the night? If that's the case then you'll have a couple very angry ghosts on your hands." Layla said, humor in her voice. Lydia smiled and shook her head.

"Well try to be more quiet. It's just been so long since I really had a good time with a man that I guess I became a bit of a wild woman." Lydia said.

"I guess so. Was Jack really that bad?" Layla asked.

"It wasn't that he was bad, but for the last few years there was just no spark, no love between us and I either told him that I had a headache or that I was on my period." Lydia said and then froze, the color draining from her face.

"What's wrong?" Layla asked the smile disappearing from her face.

"My period."

"What about it?"

"I haven't had it." She said and started counting off the days on her fingers.

"Yeah so?" Layla asked not getting Lydia's connection.

"I've only missed my period a total of three times and those three times are upstairs." Lydia whispered.

"How late are you?" Layla asked.

"If my counting is right I should have started two days ago."

"You're worried about two days?" Layla asked raising an eyebrow. "Didn't you use anything with Sloane?"

"No, I didn't think about it." Lydia admitted. Layla couldn't help it, she busted out laughing.

"Shut up." Lydia said embarrassed and worried that she was pregnant again.

"I'm sorry Lyds, I'm just glad I don't have to worry about it." Layla said.

"Yeah, yeah don't rub it in." Lydia spat out.

"Worry about what Babes?" Beetlejuice asked walking into the kitchen and Lydia felt the blood rush to her face again. Beetlejuice and Layla laughed at her reaction.

"Don't worry Lyds, I didn't see anythin'." He said knowing that she knew he got a full view. Lydia just kept her head down, not able to meet his eyes.

"Lydia's worried that she might be pregnant." Layla explained.

"You only now realized that no protection means you can get knocked up?" Beetlejuice asked.

"Shut up." Lydia mumbled.

"Anyway I said that I'm glad I don't have to worry about that." Layla said looking up at Beetlejuice and smiling.

"Why wouldn't you have to worry about that Babes?" Beetlejuice asked.

"I can't get pregnant. I haven't had a period in over a hundred years." Layla said and frowned.

"Yeah that's a living thing, but you can still get pregnant Babes." Beetlejuice said.

"What?"

"Yeah, it's totally possible." He said and smiled at her.

"But-" Layla stammered and looked at him. Beetlejuice kept smiling at her and cupped her chin in his hand watching as her eyes became clouded with confusion.

"Ya know, come to think of it, I wouldn't mind a little rug rat runnin' around here. My hair and your eyes. One hell of a killer combination wouldn't ya say?" He asked and winked at her, kissing her lightly.


	38. Detox

School is killing me. Work is killing me and the only thing that got me through last week was the fact that I was thinking about my stories the whole time. Anyway I kind of left you hanging with the whole Layla could get pregnant thing, but I hope this makes up for it ;)

Enjoy and let me know what ya think.

Loves,

Lace

* * *

Layla sat on the lounge in their bedroom and looked at the bed. She could really get pregnant? She didn't think that was even possible and now Beetlejuice was telling her that it was. Why didn't he mention it all those months ago? She shook her head and smiled a little bit, he probably just didn't think about it. Beetlejuice walked in and gave her a lazy smile. 

"You still thinkin' 'bout that Babes?" He asked, reading her mind as he sat down on the bed and started to get undressed.

"Of course I am Beej, how could I not?" Layla asked and watched as Beetlejuice just shrugged. "I still don't get how I could get pregnant." Layla said shaking her head. Beetlejuice sighed and finished taking his shirt off. He walked over to her and pulled her to his bare chest.

"It's really pretty simple Babes. Bein' dead is a lot like bein' alive only better."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, we eat, but we don't have to in order to survive right?"

"Yeah."

"And we sleep, but we really don't have to."

"True." Layla said thinking hard.

"And we have sex." He said and she giggled. "Basically Babes, we are living without the survival part of it. We don't have to do all those things, but we can. You don't get your period, but you can still get pregnant." He said and smiled at her. She looked at him and sighed.

"I just don't see how we could bring a child in without…" She let her sentence die as she looked at him.

Layla didn't have to say it, it was clear in her eyes what she was thinking about. Love. Beetlejuice thought bitterly, she was right about that. It wouldn't be fair to a kid if they didn't love each other. Well, she loved him, that was for sure. He couldn't help but swell up with pride at the thought. Layla loved him and it was a great feeling, but he just couldn't say the same.

"I'm tired of thinkin' about that. Let's just get into bed and see where it get's us." He said and got up from the lounge, holding his hand out to her. Layla just looked up at him and got up without taking his hand.

"I'm tired tonight Beej, I think I'll just go to sleep." She said and walked into the bathroom. Beetlejuice's jaw fell open as she ignored him. She was too tired to have sex? Was that even possible? He shook his head and finished getting undressed. Layla might say that she was too tired, but she wouldn't last long being in the same bed. He smiled to himself as he crawled into the cool sheets and waited for her.

Layla looked at herself in the mirror and sighed. She had to figure out some way to not wind up pregnant. Would birth control or condoms even work? They must, but the hard part would be getting Beetlejuice to use them. She sighed again and started crawling into her pajamas. No sexy nightgowns tonight and for a while if she could hold out.

Beetlejuice's eyes widened when he saw Layla walk out of the bedroom in a pair of flannel pants and a nightshirt that was four sizes too big for her.

"What are ya doin'?" Beetlejuice asked when Layla crawled into bed. She barely was on the mattress when she turned away from him and yawned loudly.

"I'm tired Beej, night." She said and closed her eyes. Beetlejuice looked at her as she tried to go to sleep. She looked like she was sixteen years old and playing dress up in that get up and he frowned, knowing exactly what she was doing.

"Layla, come on, we haven't actually slept in the same bed without doing anything." He said, his voice rising.

"I told you that I'm tired." She said, not turning to look at him.

"But Babes, come on." He whined. Layla tried to conceal her smile as she turned over to look at him.

"I can't be that enticing. I think you can survive one night without having sex. You survived longer than that when you were away right?" She asked and raised her eyebrow. Beetlejuice frowned at her and wanted to pout.

"Fine, have your night Layla. I'll see you in the morning." He said and turned over, taking the covers with him. Layla rolled her eyes and yanked some back before he took them all and snuggled close to the edge of the bed, waiting for sleep to come.

"Good morning Layla." Lydia said, her voice bright and cheerful. Layla looked up from her coffee and scowled. She didn't get any sleep last night trying to keep as far away from Beetlejuice as possible without falling off the edge of the bed. She wanted to snuggle with him, but she also wanted to prove her point. It wasn't fair.

"Why are you so happy this morning?" She asked. Lydia smiled at her and sat down.

"I started last night, so I'm not pregnant." She said and smiled to her friend.

"Congratulations." Layla muttered and stared at her coffee.

"What's the matter with you?"

"I don't want to get pregnant." She said and looked up. Lydia looked at her friend and kept her smile on her face.

"You held out last night didn't you?" She asked.

"Yes and it sucks. I didn't get any sleep last night, but I can't let him just roll over me and end up getting pregnant." She said looking miserable. "I just couldn't do that, not when he doesn't love me." Layla said.

"This is just the first night you held out. It's not going to get any easier so either you give in now or stick to your guns. What if I go and get some birth control for you." Lydia suggested and smiled as Layla brightened.

"Would you? That would be great." She said.

"Sure, but I have to warn you it will take about a week before it even starts to work and it's not one hundred percent."

"A week? I don't know if we can go a whole week. Like you said, it has only been a day so far." She said and Lydia laughed.

"We'll get through it. I'll see if I can do that on my lunch. It might be a good idea if I get on birth control too, with Sloane and I going the way we are we might catch up to you in that particular department." She said and winked.

"Somehow I doubt that. Beej has a pretty big appetite and,"

"Just Beej?" Lydia asked, raising her eyebrow.

"Okay, we both do and we've got a pretty big head start on you."

"True, but you're holding out right now and I'm not." Lydia said and smiled.

"I thought you didn't want to get pregnant either." Layla said.

"I'm not sure, maybe, maybe not. Sloane would love to have a child of his own, but we'll have to talk about it. Right now I'm having fun and being on my period doesn't mean I can't have any." She said and winked.

"What?" Layla asked and blinked at her, confusion clear on her face.

"Sure, I found that out a long time ago." Lydia said and shrugged. "It's not a big deal, a lot of women have sex during their period because it helps with cramping. Besides, having an orgasm is always a good thing. I forgot how good those feel." She said and winked. She walked out of the room leaving Layla with her jaw still dropped.

Lydia found Sloane sitting on the couch and smiled as sat down next to him giving him a kiss on the cheek.

"Good morning." He said and turned his head to give her a real kiss.

"Morning. I was just talking to Layla and she's holding out." She said and smiled.

"Get real." He said and turned back.

"I'm serious, she doesn't want to get pregnant for obvious reasons so she's holding out on him." Lydia said unable to contain herself.

"Bummer for Beej."

"The poor guy will have to suffer, at least for a week that is." She said.

"Why's that?"

"I'm going to get Layla some birth control because I don't think they can keep their hands off of each other for much more than that." Lydia said seriously. Sloane turned to look at her and smiled.

"It will definitely be interesting to see how this will change them." Sloane said and smiled.

"What do you mean?"

"Think about it Hon, they've been on their honeymoon period for all of these months. Just sex and more sex, but now that it's getting kind of serious and Layla's withholding the goods we are gonna see a whole new BJ."

"He'll be like he was when I first met him." Lydia said and frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"Well I just mean that if I was getting never ending good sex and it was suddenly gone, for however long, I'd be cranky. I'm gonna hate to see how he'll be since he has no restraint whatsoever." Lydia said.

"Point taken, we might have to take the kids out a lot this week."

"That's a good idea, maybe for a weekend trip or something."

"Sounds like a plan. Now, we better get to work before he gets up." Sloane said and got up from the couch, holding out his hand for Lydia.

"Good idea, let me just go get the kids and we'll be on our way." She said and raced up the stairs.

Beetlejuice walked out of the bedroom and almost ran straight into Lydia as she went to get the kids.

"Hey watch where your goin' Lyds." He snapped.

"Sorry Beej, gotta get the kids and head out before we're late." She said and rushed into Jordan and Riley's room.

"Yeah, right." He grumbled and walked down the stairs.

"Good morning Beej." Sloane said, a smile on his face.

"What's so good about it?" He asked.

"Rough night last night?"

"Bite me." Beetlejuice said and walked into the kitchen. He rolled his eyes up when he saw Layla sitting there, already dressed and drinking her coffee. She paused and looked at him, a forced smile on her face.

"Good morning." She said.

"Yeah, so I've heard." He said and snapped himself a cup of coffee. Layla wanted to tell him that last night was rough for her too, but she just couldn't. If he was going to be cranky then she could too.

"Right, well I've got some things to do so I'll see you later." She said and got up from the table, leaving him alone.

"What could you possibly have to do?" He called after her, but she didn't answer him. Beetlejuice stared at his coffee and frowned. Did she really have that much hold over him that he couldn't last one night without having sex with her? No, he'd lasted longer than that when he was with Stacey, but then again he couldn't think about anything else besides Layla either.

"Is there anything that I should be worried about with these?" Layla asked looking at the small pills that were in the compact.

"Nothing that should bother you too much. I mean I'm not sure what types of side effects you'll have since you're dead, but they shouldn't be too bad." Lydia said. Layla looked at her and shrugged. She had avoided Beetlejuice all day long and she felt horrible for doing it, but she couldn't be around him too much or else she'd give in and she knew it.

"Here goes nothing." She said and took one of the pills and dry swallowing it. Lydia cringed and shook her head.

"How do you do that?" She asked.

"It's easy." Layla said and sighed. "Now it's just a matter of waiting for the rest of the week right?"

"Yup, it's that easy." Lydia said and walked out.

"Easier said than done." Layla muttered to herself and tucked the compact in her dresser, hoping that Beetlejuice wouldn't find it.

"Are we going to do this again or what Babes?" Beetlejuice asked on edge when he walked into their bedroom. Layla whipped around and quickly closed the drawer.

"Do what Beej?" Layla asked.

"You know what." He said and narrowed his eyes.

"Honestly Beej, I'm just so wiped out that I don't know if I'd be much fun tonight." She said, partly true.

"I don't mind."

"BEEJ! How could you even think that? I thought that you weren't selfish when it came to that, but apparently," Layla said in shock, her own eyes narrowing.

"I was just kiddin' Babes." He said, holding up his hands in surrender. "Damn woman, you turned on a dime pretty fast." He muttered.

"What was that?"

"Nothing Babes, let's just get some sleep." He said and started to get undressed. "Ya know, just because you don't wanna have sex doesn't mean that everything has to stop." He said. Layla looked at him and crossed her arms.

"What exactly does that mean?"

"Do you remember our game that we did?" He asked.

"Yes I do and I told you that I'm tired tonight." She said and crawled into bed, turning her back to him. Beetlejuice looked at her back and raised an eyebrow.

"What's the problem Babes? I mean you don't want sex because you don't wanna get knocked up. Okay, I can deal with that, but we can't even do anything else?" He asked. Layla got up and turned to him, her eyes narrowed in fury.

"I want a break Beej, I can only have so much sex before I need one. Can't you understand that?" She hissed. Beetlejuice sat back a little in shock at Layla's attitude. He knew that he should expect the unexpected from her, but this was a little unusual, even for her.

"Okay, fine Babes, but I don't see why you can't just come over here and sleep with me instead of just in the same bed." He said.

"Goodnight Beej." She said and curled up at the edge of the bed. He sighed and settled in the middle. She could be bitchy and just want to sleep on the edge, but he wasn't going to. He closed his eyes and eventually drifted off to sleep.

Beetlejuice heard moaning from somewhere far away and it was mixing with his dreams of Layla. The moans kept getting louder and he opened up his eyes, hoping that Layla was moaning in her sleep. He turned and saw her outline in the dark and his dreams were shattered when she laid there, unmoving and sleeping soundly. He turned and stared at the other wall that they shared with Lydia's room and heard the moaning and grunting coming from there. He wanted to groan, the dream he had been having felt so real. He could still picture the vivid images that were flashing in his mind. He heard Lydia moaning again and looked down to see a massive hard on that he'd gotten from his dreams. He groaned softly and looked over at Layla who'd turned to face him in her sleep.

Why did she have to look so sexy even when she was asleep? Her lips were parted slightly and her hair had fallen across her face. He groaned again and bit his lower lip.

"Babes?" He whispered and heard Lydia screaming and Sloane roaring after her. "Babes." He said louder.

Layla stirred in her sleep and opened her eyes.

"Wassamatter Beej?" She asked looking at him and rubbing her eyes.

"Babes, I'm in a bad way, do you think you could…do something for me?" He asked. Layla blinked a few times and tried to concentrate on what he was saying.

"You want me to get you off?" She asked and frowned.

"Come on Babes, I was dreamin' about you and I heard noises and, please?" He was desperate as he pleaded with her.

"Good night Beetlejuice." She said and turned over.

"BABES! Don't say the B word."

"Good night." She called again. Beetlejuice sighed and looked to the bathroom. He groaned which made him think of sex all the more and shook his head. This wasn't going to work.

Beetlejuice sat in the living room and smoked a cigarette. He hadn't realized that he'd gone so long without having one. He supposed that since one addiction was being filled he'd forgotten the rest of them. Now that it had been five days, five fucking days that he and Layla hadn't been having sex he'd lit up as fast as he could.

"Hey Beej, you look like shit. Going through detox?" Sloane asked hopping down the stairs.

"Go fuck yourself." He spat out.

"I'd rather fuck someone else, thank you very much." Sloane said as he smiled and walked over to him. Beetlejuice glared at him and took a deep drag on his cigarette.

"Kiss my ass." Every single night he had been forced to listen to Sloane and Lydia as they went on through the night as he had the wettest dreams about Layla that he couldn't do anything about. Then every morning he woke up with a hard on and Layla already gone and to top it off Sloane and Lydia had been walking around smiling like loons the whole week, it pissed him off. Layla had been avoiding him and all day long, which pissed him off even more.

"Now Beej, the kids are around here somewhere. We don't want them to hear your language do we?" Sloane asked mockingly.

"Fuck you Sloane." He said and crushed his cigarette, lighting another one and making a bottle of beer appear. Sloane just shook his head, Beetlejuice's language not phasing him.

"Layla still being cranky? I think the kids are a little afraid of her right now. She snapped at Jordan the other day as he was walking by and it freaked him out a little." He said and sat down next to him.

"She's gone beyond cranky. She's down right bitchy now and I don't know why. I know she's pissed about the idea of getting pregnant, but I thought mood swings happened after you were pregnant, not by the idea of it. I don't know what's wrong with her."

"Probably the birth control she's taking. I know that it made one of my ex girlfriends have the worst mood swings." Sloane said.

"What?" Beetlejuice dropped his cigarette and looked at Sloane.

"Yeah, Layla's been taking birth control for the past couple of days and she's probably just being effected by the side effects."

"Why didn't she fuckin' tell me?" He asked, rage pouring out of him.

"I don't know, I thought you knew about it. Lydia bought her birth control at the beginning of the week." Sloane said.

"THE FUCK I KNEW ABOUT IT." Beetlejuice jumped up and flew up the stairs to the attic where he knew Layla was hiding out. He smashed the door to bits and walked in.

"Why the hell did you do that?" Layla asked, shocked and scared at his entrance.

"Why the fuck didn't you tell me that you were on birth control?" He asked. Layla looked down for a second before she met his eyes.

"I didn't think that you needed to know." She said. Beetlejuice walked the distance between them in a second and grabbed her upper arms, hauling her up to him.

"You cut me off of sex, are acting like a raving bitch and you didn't think that I should know about it?" He asked.

"I have not been a raving bitch and that hurts." She said. Beetlejuice let go of her arms and ran his fingers through his hair, making it stand on end.

"Like hell you haven't. Fuck Layla, I mean not even a fucking hand job now and then? You can just cut me off like that." He said, softening when he saw her. Layla looked at him and sighed, sinking down into the chair.

"I'm sorry Beej, these things are making me crazy. It hasn't been easy for me either you know, but I needed to prove my point."

"You proved your point Babes, you proved it a thousand times over. Now can we go back to where we were?" He asked, pleading with her.

"I've still got two more days Beej, before the pills are effective." She said, miserable with life in general.

"Did I mention hand job? Blow job would be great too. Either one, your choice." He said and gave her a small smile.

"Yeah, great for you, but what about me." She muttered and crossed her arms.

"You do know my skills Babes, you know I wouldn't leave you hanging. If we keep goin' this way there's now way we'll make it two more days. Come on." He asked her. Layla felt herself giving into him. She was going through withdrawals just as badly as he was and she sighed.

"Who's first?" She asked and knew that both of them needed each other.

"We haven't done a sixty-nine yet." Beetlejuice said, his whole body shaking at the thought of it. He'd been having reoccurring dreams that he was eager to test out in real life.

"We can try Beej." She said and gave a small smile. He leapt on her and she laughed softly as he tore her clothes away from her.

"Just a few days and your wild huh?" She asked as she unbuttoned his shirt. He grabbed her head with both of his hands and pulled her into to kiss her hard.

"Babes, I'm always wild with you." He said and she smiled at him. He laid her down on the attic floor, kissing her mouth, breasts and stomach as he made his way down. Layla ran her hands down his back and up his legs.

They both needed some sort of release and it didn't take long before they both screamed out, collapsing on one another.

"Two more days like this huh?" Beetlejuice asked when he could speak.

"Two more days before the pills are effective." Layla said and sighed.

"You were killin' me with holding out ya know that right?" He asked.

"Yeah, well, it hasn't been peaches and cream for me either. These things are tearing me up." She said. She'd been in knots every day and lashing out, especially at Beetlejuice.

"So why are you takin' them Babes?" He asked, turning to look at her and pulling her into his arms.

Layla looked into his eyes and saw that they had changed, just a fraction, but something was different about them. She sighed knowing that it was probably just the afterglow of an orgasm.

"You know why Beej." She said and her voice was filled with such a deep sadness that it hurt him to hear it.

"Listen Babes, we've gone for months and you haven't been knocked up. Maybe you won't ever be, I don't know, but let's just take it one day at a time huh? If it happens, we'll deal with it, if it doesn't then we'll deal with that too. I don't want you to tear yourself up just to make sure it doesn't happen." Beetlejuice said. Layla kept her eyes on him and smiled.

"I guess you really do care about me." She said and he smiled at her.

"Course I care about ya. Who else is going to get me off as good as you?" He asked.

"Beej." Layla went to punch him in the arm, but he caught her wrist and bent down to kiss her mouth, sliding his tongue inside and smiled when he heard her sigh.

"What do ya say Babes?" He asked, still holding her arm above her head. She looked at him and sighed again.

"If it happens we'll deal with it. I don't think I can take those things any more." She said and he wanted to yell out.

"Great, let's start makin' up for lost time." He said and climbed on top of her. Layla laughed as he pulled her legs apart.

"You don't waste much time do you?" She asked.

"Never." He said and leaned down to kiss her again.


	39. How to Describe

You have no idea how much I've missed this story. I just had so much that I was doing that I barely had any time to work on it. Now I did and I'm happy. It is nearing the end though...sad, but true. I'm thinking about doing a sequel though, at least for myself...depends. Anyway hope you enjoy.

Loves, let me know what you think.

Lace

* * *

Layla and Beetlejuice walked downstairs, their hands laced together and Lydia looked up smiling.

"You just couldn't hold out could you?" She asked and shook her head. Layla just smiled and didn't say a word.

"Are ya kiddin'?" Beetlejuice asked and looked over at Layla. "She couldn't keep her hands off me." He said and Layla giggled.

"Yeah, that's how it went." She said and rolled her eyes. Lydia laughed and sighed with relief. If she had known that Layla wouldn't have reacted so strongly to the birth control she never would have given it to her.

"Where's Sloane?" Beetlejuice asked sitting down next to Lydia.

"He took the kids to the park for a day out in the fresh air. Besides they needed to get out of the house for a while." Lydia said. Layla sat down next to Beetlejuice and nodded giving a deep sigh.

"I feel so bad for snapping at them for the whole week, I just didn't feel like myself." She said and shook her head.

"It wasn't your fault and I made sure that they knew that and that they knew that it wasn't their fault either." Lydia said.

"I'll have to do something to make it up to them."

"They'll ask you to make them go up in the air, they haven't done that in forever." Lydia said and laughed.

"I think I can do that for them." Layla said and smiled. Beetlejuice was about to say something when they heard the front door open. Lydia turned her head to smile waiting for her children to come running through the door, but her face fell when she saw Rowena walking in.

"Don't you ever knock?" Layla hissed at her. "This is my house after all."

"It's still my house, no matter what you may think of it." Rowena said and turned to Beetlejuice pointing her finger at him. "You." She hissed.

"What?" He asked, smiling innocently at her.

"Do you know how much it cost me to get that mud out of my clothes?" She asked. Beetlejuice shrugged and looked at Layla giving her a lazy smile."Don't know and don't really give a fuck either." He said. Lydia had been sitting in silence, but she couldn't contain herself any longer.

"How dare you come into this house like it's yours." She hissed and jumped off the sofa, advancing on Rowena.

Rowena looked at the petite woman with little interest and looked around.

"Where is Sloane?" She asked.

"Not that it is any of your business, but he is out." Lydia said. "I heard about what you said to my children." She said and put her hands on her hips. Rowena turned and smiled at her.

"Yeah? They deserved it and I can see why Jack came running to me, but I don't want him anymore. I want my Sloane back."

"Yeah well too bad, he's with me now and we're quite happy." Lydia spat out.

"Happy with a slip of a thing like you?" Rowena asked and gave a shrill laugh. "I highly doubt that. I know that he'll pick me when he sees how much I want him back. We'll raise this baby together and be a happy family. Well, he can raise the kid and I'll go back to what I was doing before. The only reason I kept this thing around was to get him back."

"You're pregnant?" Lydia asked and turned to look at Layla and Beetlejuice who both avoided her eye contact.

"Of course I'm pregnant you slut. Why else would I be back here?" Rowena asked. "Oh Sloane didn't tell you? Isn't that precious." Rowena spat out.

"Is it his?" Lydia asked, her mind reeling. Rowena smiled coldly at her and opened her mouth.

"Hey Lyds, we're home." Sloane called and Rowena's smile broadened.

"Hello Darling." She said and jumped up to greet him. Sloane froze in the doorway when he saw Rowena come up to him and pushed all of the kids to their mother.

"What are you doing here Rowena?" Sloane asked looking her up and down. Rowena just smiled and held out her hand to him.

"I missed you so much Sloane and I really do want us to have a family together." She purred. Sloane looked over at Lydia who had her eyes cast down.

"What did you say to Lydia?" He asked. Rowena paused and looked at him.

"What does it matter Baby?" She asked.

"It matters a lot." Sloane said and pushed past her to Lydia.

"That cow said basically told Lyds that she's knocked up with your kid." Beetlejuice said. Rowena glared at him and put her hands on her hips.

"I am not a cow." She hissed.

"Oh yeah? You're the one who's all fat with a kid." He said and Layla giggled.

"You think that I got Rowena pregnant?" Sloane asked. Layla's eyes widened and she looked at the kids who were staring back and forth at all of them.

"Beej why don't we take the kids upstairs and play some games." She said.

"Why would we-" He started, but Layla elbowed him in the ribs. "Oh right, let's go Kiddos." He said and lifted them up off the ground. Despite everything around them they giggled as they were lifted. Rowena saw that and screeched at the top of her lungs.

"Shut up Rowena." Sloane hissed and took Lydia's hand in his. Lydia looked up at him and he could see the doubt in her eyes.

"Is she having your baby?" She asked him.

"No, it's not mine." He said, but Rowena just chuckled.

"How would you know that Sloane? Even I'm not really sure who the father is. Could be you…could be Jack." She said and shrugged. Lydia looked at her and narrowed her eyes.

"Don't you even care who's child you're carrying?" She asked.

"No, not really I know that Sloane wants a kid so I figured that he'd want to raise this one up with me." She said and turned to Sloane. "You'll finally have everything you wanted with your wife." She said and held out her hand. Sloane saw the wedding ring he had given her all those years ago and he looked down at his bare hand. He felt nothing for her and nothing for the ring that she was wearing.

"You disgust me." He said and wrinkled his nose. Rowena took a step back and narrowed her eyes.

"I disgust you?" She asked. "No, you should be on your knees begging me to come back to you." She spat out.

"I don't want you anymore Rowena. I am with Lydia and that's where I want to be." He said calmly.

Rowena couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had gone through with keeping this thing that was growing inside of her and he wasn't going to come back to her. A sliver of fear ran down her as she began to realize that Sloane wasn't going to take her back and she would have to give birth to a child by herself.

"No." She whispered.

"No what Rowena?" Sloane asked seeing the color drain from her face. She looked up at him and then to Lydia and narrowed her eyes.

"You Bitch, you took everything away from me." She said and ran towards Lydia, her fingers out to scratch her. Lydia ducked away, not wanting to get into an argument with her.

"I took everything away from you? Look in the mirror Rowena. The only one you should be blaming is yourself." She said.

"Fuck you, you slut." She spat out and reached out to hit Lydia.

"Be careful of your baby." Lydia warned.

"I don't care about this, now I'm stuck with it." She cried out. "Maybe if I can get rid of it I'll have a chance to get my life back." She said.

"Don't you dare think about harming your child Rowena." Lydia cried out. Sloane grabbed Rowena by the arm and pulled her out.

"Time to go." He said. "Do us all a favor Rowena and don't come back." He said and threw her out the door and slammed it. He turned to look at Lydia, a smile on his face, but she frowned at him. "What's wrong Lyds?" He asked.

"I'm just worried about her baby. What if she does try to get rid of it Sloane?" She asked. Sloane sighed and looked at her, taking her hand in his and pulling her into him.

"We'll cross that bridge if we get to it Lyds. Right now I love my life and I don't want Rowena coming back and trying to ruin it."

"Did you mean what you said?" She asked.

"About what?" He asked and looked at her.

"That you are with me and that's where you want to be?" She asked. Sloane smiled at her and leaned down to kiss her lightly.

"Yes I meant that." He said and she smiled.

"Did Rowena leave?" Layla asked as they walked down the stairs.

"Force to leave." Sloane said and smiled.

"She's really startin' to work my nerves." Beetlejuice muttered. Layla laughed and gave him a squeeze.

"Yeah, I have a feeling that she won't be back for a while." Sloane said and looked at Lydia.

"I'm still worried about her baby." Lydia said and shook her head.

"You think she'll do something?" Layla asked. Lydia looked at her friend and sighed.

"I don't know, I really don't." She said. Layla looked at Beetlejuice and he nodded.

"Let's go upstairs and check on the kids." Layla said and gently forced Lydia up the stairs. Sloane watched as they walked up the stairs and a smile grew on his face.

Beetlejuice looked at Sloane and raised an eyebrow. He glanced up the stairs and smiled as he watched Layla's ass as she walked up, but Sloane was smiling at something different.

"What are ya smilin' at?" He asked.

"I think I'm falling in love with Lydia." He said when Lydia and Layla had disappeared.

"Are you fuckin' nuts?" Beetlejuice asked. "How in the fuck would you know that?" He asked. Sloane turned to look at him and just shook his head.

"It's a feeling that I have. I can't stop thinking about her and I don't want to stop thinking about her. Not to mention that her kids are great. This afternoon when I had them just to myself and really got a chance to get to know them. I felt like I actually belonged somewhere." Sloane said.

"You gonna tell her?" Beetlejuice asked and started to feel nervous. If Sloane confessed his love for Lydia then it would make Layla feel worse because he hadn't said it to her. He didn't want to risk that.

"I don't know." Sloane said.

"Tell ya what." Beetlejuice said and slung his arm around Sloane. "Why don't you just sit and think about it for a while and see how ya feel then." Beetlejuice said.

"You don't think I know my own feelings?" Sloane asked.

"I think that you just had a break through with Rowena and you're still on a high. Just think about it." He said, nearly pleading with Sloane. Sloane turned and smiled at him.

"You think that if I tell Lydia that I love her that Layla will be jealous." He said.

"What makes you think a stupid thing like that?" Beetlejuice asked. Sloane just smiled wider.

"I thought so, why don't you just tell Layla that you love her?" He asked.

"Fuck, you're getting on that bandwagon too?" Beetlejuice asked.

"I'm just saying. You two are made for each other, it's obvious to everyone, but you. Get in tune with your feelings Beej." Sloane said.

"Fuck off." Beetlejuice spat out and Sloane laughed.

"Don't you even know what it feels like?" Sloane asked. Beetlejuice looked at him and scowled.

"Like that's any of your fuckin' business." He said and Sloane just shook his head.

"That's sad Beej, it really is." He said and walked off. Beetlejuice just kept his eyes narrowed and watched as Sloane left. What did he know? Who needed something as dumb as love? He scowled to the empty room and thought about Layla and sighed. She was someone who needed love, but he just couldn't give it to her. He didn't know why it was so hard for him to say the words and mean them.

"Whatcha thinkin' about Beej?" Lalya asked as she walked back down the stairs. He looked up at her and smiled.

"Nothin' important Babes." He said and she raised an eyebrow at him, seeing the distracted look he had.

"Is that so? It looked like you were thinking pretty hard." She said and smiled at him. He just took her hand and pulled her into him, hugging her tightly.

"Nope, not thinkin' at all." He said and rested his chin on the top of her head. He almost thought about telling her about Sloane and Lydia, but he held back. He didn't want to see that look on her face again, but he felt guilty for keeping it from her. "Let's go to bed Babes, we had a long day." He said and Layla smiled at him.

"We did have a busy day didn't we?" She asked and he kissed her forehead.

"You gonna hug the side of the bed again tonight?" He asked and she laughed, sliding her arms around his waist and squeezing him to her.

"The only thing I'm hugging is you. I don't want any space between us tonight." She said and he laughed.

"Better stay that way." He said. Layla slid out to hold his hand and pull him up the stairs.

"Wouldn't have it any other way."

Beetlejuice laid in the middle of the bed and stared at the ceiling. He inhaled deeply and caught Layla's scent as she slept soundly next to him. She was right about not having any space between them and she'd snuggled up as close as she could to him, her arms wrapped around him as she slept. He smiled as he watched her sleep and kept thinking about Sloane's words over and over in his mind. He sighed and looked back up at the ceiling. There was no way he was going to be able to sleep tonight, his mind was racing with everything that had happened.

Beetlejuice slipped away from Layla and smiled as she grabbed his pillow and brought it to her, hugging it tightly. On an impulse, he bent down and kissed her hair and watched her give a smile in her sleep. He walked down to the kitchen and waited, his chin resting on his folded hands.

Sloane walked down and stopped at the entry of the kitchen when he saw Beetlejuice sitting there in silence.

"What's up?" He asked cautiously. Beetlejuice looked at him and sighed.

"Did you tell Lyds?" Beetlejuice asked. Sloane raised an eyebrow and walked over to sit down across from Beetlejuice.

"No, I didn't. I figured it wouldn't be fair to Layla and she's been through a lot. I'm kinda startin' to like her." He said and smiled. Beetlejuice smiled too and shook his head.

"She's somethin' else, that's for sure." He said and sighed. "Everyone thinks that I should love her. What's so special about it?" He said and frowned. Sloane sighed, a smile on his face and closed his eyes.

"Being in love is like being on a constant high. It's a drug that you can't get enough of." He said and Beetlejuice just stared at him. Sloane opened his eyes and frowned. He knew somewhere that Beetlejuice loved Layla. It was pretty obvious to everyone, except for him.

"The way I feel about Lydia, is that I just want to be with her. I wouldn't care if I died tomorrow just as long as I got to see her." Sloane said. Beetlejuice thought back to when he was with Stacey. He couldn't think of anyone else other than Layla and it pissed him off.

"Hi boys." Layla said walking into the room, a smile on her face. Beetlejuice looked at her and smiled.

"Hey Babes." He said and she leaned down to kiss him.

"You're up early, anything on your mind?" She asked seeing the same distracted look that he had the night before.

"Not a thing Babes." He said and kissed her again.


	40. Love comes in a Striped Suit

It's so close to the end that I really feel like I want to cry! I love this story so much and it's been such a wild and wonderful ride. After this there's but one, possibly two, more chapter left, but so much more to the story...sigh...

I hope you enjoy this chapter, I had this particular chapter in mind for a long time and it's one of my favorites.

As always enjoy and let me know what you think.

Lace

* * *

Layla paced back and forth in the living room. Beetlejuice had been distant with her ever since the night before and it was starting to scare her. She'd smiled and teased him and he'd give her a small smile before he'd leave the room. Maybe the magic they had together was wearing off. The thought hit Layla like a ton of bricks and laid heavy in her stomach. They'd been through so much that maybe he decided that it just wasn't worth it and he wanted to leave. Layla sank down in a chair and dropped her head in between her knees. 

"What's wrong?" Lydia asked when she saw Layla sitting in the chair.

"Something is wrong with Beej." She said looking at Lydia.

"What do you mean?" Lydia asked sitting down next to her friend putting her hand on her shoulder.

"He's not talking to me anymore. I think he might want to leave." She said, a sadness taking her over.

"I don't think so." Lydia said. It didn't sound like Beetlejuice to be distant towards Layla, but she didn't think that he wanted to leave either.

"Why not? Nothing is really keeping him here. Maybe I'm just too much baggage for him now." She said looking at Lydia.

"Don't worry I'm sure he's just thinking about a few things, nothing big." Lydia said and got up. She would make sure it was nothing big, if only to put Layla's mind at ease.

Beetlejuice frowned and stared off at the wall until Riley waved his hand in front of him.

"It's your turn Uncle Beej." He said.

"Oh right." Beetlejuice said and went back to staring at the wall.

"What's wrong?" Jordan asked, laying down his cards in front of him. Beetlejuice snapped back and stared at all three of the kids. They were good kids and he liked hanging around them, but his mind kept drifting back to Sloane and Lydia, then he'd think about Layla and frown.

"What do you think about your mom and Sloane?" He asked and Jordan just shrugged.

"He loves her." Chloe said and sighed.

"What makes ya say that?" Beetlejuice asked turning to her.

"It's obvious, just like you love Aunt Layla right?" Chloe asked, blinking up at him. The little girl had stumped him. What could he tell her, that he didn't love Layla or that he did? His mind was filled with so much different emotions that he didn't know what he thought anymore and he sighed. He just gave her a little smile and turned away without answering her.

Lydia walked around the house to see where Beetlejuice was and finally found him in Jordan and Riley in their room, playing cards with all three of her children.

"Why don't you guys go downstairs and start a game with Sloane." She said and watched as Riley was about to protest, but Jordan just gathered the cards and pulled his little brother along, Chloe shrugging and following them.

"What's up Lyds?" Beetlejuice asked when Lydia sat down on one of the beds.

"What is goin' through your mind?" She asked shaking her head at him. Beetlejuice raised an eyebrow and looked at her.

"What do ya mean?" He asked.

"You've got Layla all twisted up in knots thinking that you're gonna leave her."

"What? That's ridiculous, I'd never leave my Babes." Beetlejuice said.

"You'd better tell her that." Lydia said and sighed, getting up off of the bed and looking down at him. "If you only knew what an impact you have on her." She said and walked out leaving Beetlejuice to think.

Beetlejuice laid on Riley's bed and stared up at the ceiling, his arms behind his head. Sloane walked in and leaned against the doorframe, smiling at him.

"What do you want?" He asked, not bothering to look up.

"What's the matter with you?" Sloane asked.

"Just thinkin'." Beetlejuice said in a sigh and pulled himself upright.

"About what?"

"Lyds told me that Layla thinks that I wanna leave her."

"I wouldn't be surprised." Sloane said shrugging. Beetlejuice glared up at him and frowned.

"What the fuck makes you say that?"

"Well, think about it Beej. In her mind there is nothing that is keeping you here since you refuse to admit that you love her."

"That's a crock of sh-"

"That's a woman for ya." Sloane said and smiled. "Besides, you haven't been all lovey dovey with her today like you usually are. Of course she's going to doubt herself."

"Why does it have to be so complicated?" Beetlejuice asked throwing himself back on the bed. Sloane just shook his head and smiled at his friend.

"Love is always complicated." He said and ducked when Beetlejuice threw a book at him.

Lydia sat back down next to Layla and gave her a little hug. Layla gave her a small smile before it fell again.

"I'll be leaving soon." Layla said before Lydia could open her mouth.

"What?" She asked frowning. It had never occurred to her that Layla would actually leave the house and she felt a sadness coming over her.

"In just a few days I'll be free to leave. What am I going to do?" She asked turning to look at Lydia.

"What do you want to do?" Lydia asked, swallowing the hard lump in her throat.

"I don't know." Layla said and turned back to stare off into space. She'd been thinking about it off and on for the past few weeks and she was still scared witless about leaving. It didn't seem right that now that she'd finally found a place where she felt like she belonged to leave, but she did want to see something other than the walls of her old home.

"Well I'm sure Beej will be there with you, so you won't be alone." Lydia said and smiled.

"I hope so, I don't want to be alone again." Layla said and sighed. "I think I'll go read a book. I need to get my mind off of everything." She said and got up from the couch, retreating into the parlor. Lydia stared at the closed door long after Layla had gone in there and sighed.

"What's wrong Lyds?" Sloane asked when he walked down the stairs. Lydia turned to him and smiled slightly.

"Layla went into the parlor to read. She'll be leaving soon and I miss her already." She said and Sloane pulled her into a warm hug, kissing the top of her head.

"I'm sure everything will turn out the way it's supposed to. Let's go outside with the kids. It's a nice day outside and I'm sure that they'd like to run around."

"Great idea. I'll get them all bundled up and we can head to the park." Lydia said and gave Sloane a tender kiss. He just smiled at her and prayed that Beetlejuice would come to his senses. He didn't think he could keep his mouth shut too much longer without yelling to the world that he loved Lydia.

Beetlejuice walked down the stairs to find Layla. He wanted to talk to her, tell her that she didn't need to be afraid of anything. He frowned when the entire house seemed empty and turned to walk into the parlor. He froze when he saw Layla sitting next to the window reading. The late afternoon sun was shinning behind her, bringing out the rich dark red in her hair causing it to look like flames against her icy skin. He paused and watched her as she read and felt like time had stopped.

She had a small smile that was tugging on the corner of her mouth, waiting to pull and show her dimple and her lashes were cast down as she read her book, eyes racing back and forth on the pages as she absorbed everything. He felt a warm feeling in his stomach and it spread like fire through him as he welcomed it. He smiled at her and continued to watch.

Layla glanced up and was startled by Beetlejuice. She smiled at him, easy and warm, her worries forgotten and saw something in his eyes. They were hazed over and soft as he watched her and her smile faltered a fraction.

"What's up Beej?" She asked, a hint of caution in her voice. He smiled at her and shook his head, walking over and taking the book out of her hands and setting it down. He took her hands and lifted her up out of her chair, drawing her into him and kissing her softy on her mouth.

Layla felt herself go weak at the knees when he kissed her, they'd never really kissed like that before, tender and soft. It was always heated and passionate and she felt herself buckling under the power of tenderness.

"Come on." He said smiling down at her. He watched her as she blinked her large exotic eyes at him in curiosity and his smile deepened.

"Where are we going?" She asked, a smile playing on her mouth. Instead of answering her he just lifted her into his arms and kissed her again, deeper, but just as gentle. Layla wrapped her arms around his neck and smiled at him, allowing herself to be carried up the stairs. Relief flooded her as she held on to him. Maybe Lydia was right and he was just thinking things over in his mind.

Beetlejuice laid her down on the bed and kissed her again and felt the surprise in her reaction. They had all the time in the world and he wasn't going to rush a thing with her, not anymore, not ever. He slowly started to unbutton her blouse and feel her cool skin underneath his fingers as he undressed her and just kept smiling at her.

Layla watched with curiosity at what was going on. They had never done this before and he had total control over everything. She had no idea what was going to happen, but she was excited to find out as he slowly undressed her. He pulled her shirt down her arms, feeling her skin as he slowly went down and leaned in to kiss her mouth again, tasting her. He gently pulled down the pants that she was wearing until she had nothing left on her, but instead of leaping on her as was his habit, he pulled back and away from her, just watching her as she laid on the bed.

"Beej?" Layla asked and began to feel exposed to him as he watched her, completely naked. He just kept smiling at her and said nothing as he started to undress himself. She waited for him to undress and enjoyed the view through her hooded eyes. She always loved the way he looked, but since he was going so slow she really had a chance to see everything in detail. His pale skin and deep emerald eyes moved her, but her eyes centered on his chest, her favorite spot on his entire body. She loved to lay on his chest and feel his skin against hers.

When he was completely naked Layla braced herself for his weight to come down on her, instead she was surprised to see him lay down next to her and take her into his arms, running his hands down her bare back and holding her there. She smiled and rested her head against his chest as he kissed the top of her head. She lifted her head and looked at him, confusion and anticipation in her eyes. He ran his hand down the side of her body and back up to her face and kissed the tip of her nose. Layla giggled as he gently pushed her on her back and slowly come over on top of her. She pulled him close and kissed his mouth, soft like he had done before and he smiled against her lips.

Beetlejuice gently pulled her legs apart and found himself still in shock that he fit so perfectly between those long legs of hers. She smiled at him and held onto his shoulders, not sure what was going to happen next. He gently entered her, slowly and taking all the time he wanted as he felt her stretch and welcome him, lifting her hips as she guided him in. He gently took her hands and raised her arms above her head, lacing his fingers with hers.

He didn't want to be fast and powerful, but gentle and unlike anything they'd ever done before. He took his time as he reached her, not wanting to jerk or pull and slowly began to move over her in a soft rhythm neither had experienced before.

Layla watched his face as he moved in her, gently making his way to her womb. She felt the pressure start to build in her as he moved, but unlike the frenzied feeling of wanting to explode, it just felt like it was increasing slowly and over time. She welcomed the new feelings and wrapped her legs around him as she moved with him.

Neither one of them knew how long they were there, making love in the middle of the bed they had shared for so long, but instead of yelling out and screaming with passion Layla felt her orgasm hit and she just sighed gently and smiled softly at him as her eyes softened.

"I love you Layla." Beetlejuice said as he watched her sigh with contentment. The haze in her eyes quickly disappeared as she heard the words and absorbed them, feeling her chest expand and overflow with feelings. She felt the tears rise up in her as he kept moving in her, taking his own time.

Beetlejuice watched as her tears came and shinned in her eyes. He just smiled at her and kissed her mouth as she took her time understanding what he had just said.

"Say it again." She said, her voice cracking as she tried to keep herself from crying.

"I love you." He said and her tears broke and spilled down her cheeks.

"I love you too." She said and he felt powerful at her words as his own orgasm wash over him and he sighed over her and gently came down beside her, pulling her to him and kissing her forehead. She lifted her head to look at him, the tears still sliding down her cheeks. "Do you mean it?" She asked wanting to believe him so much that it hurt.

"I love you Layla and I think I've probably loved you for a very long time. I just never knew what it was before." He said.

"What made you change your mind?" She asked looking at him. He smiled at her and gently wiped away her tears.

"I'd been thinking about it a lot lately and somewhere in me I knew, but when I walked in and saw you reading, it dawned on me. The sun was behind you and right then that there was no other woman for me, only you and always you."

"Say it again and keep saying it until you get used to it." She said and smiled, laying her head back down on his chest. He laughed softly and gently brushed away her tears with his lips, whispering the words over and over until he knew he could say them easily for the rest of his afterlife. Layla smiled as she closed her eyes hearing him and sighed, no more doubts were between them now. She loved him with all her heart and he loved her. She fell asleep against his chest as he held her in the late afternoon.


	41. Round and Round We Go

I know it's been forever since I updated, but I've had horrible writer's block. I've finally now just started to get my spark back. Hope you enjoy.

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Layla and Beetlejuice walked down the stairs hand in hand when they heard the front door open. The kids came rushing in, quickly followed by Sloane and Lydia.

"Man it's windy outside," Sloane said and looked up as the couple walked down the staircase. A smile spread across his lips as he saw the undeniably smitten looks upon both of their faces. He nudged Lydia slightly with his elbow motioning her to look up as well.

"Hey why don't you guys go into the kitchen and get some water going and we'll all have a mug of hot chocolate," Sloane suggested gently pushing the kids towards the kitchen with a smile on his face.

Layla smiled as she watched Jordan, Chloe and Riley nearly run into the kitchen.

"I'll grab the marshmallows," Chloe called out.

"I'm getting the mix," Riley yelled after her.

Beetlejuice snorted a bit at that and rolled his eyes, "Ya know I coulda just snapped an' everythin' woulda been right here," he said as he pulled Layla over to the couch to sit down.

"I know, but I wanted to talk to you two," Sloane said looking at the both of them.

Layla turned to look at Beetlejuice and raised a dark auburn eyebrow. What was going on with the both of them, she thought and looked back over at Sloane who seemed to be trying to hide a smile.

"What's up?" she asked looking at them in question, her hand squeezing Beetlejuice's hand tighter.

"Something's up," Lydia said looking at them, her eyes shining like she had discovered the secret of life.

Beetlejuice stretched and leaned back, slipping his boots onto the coffee table in front of him, crossing his legs at the ankles.

"What the fuck do you think is up Lyds?" he asked smirking towards Lydia.

Lydia turned and raised an eyebrow at him and returned her own smirk, "You finally figured it out, didn't you asshole," she said with a laugh in her voice.

Beetlejuice's eyes widened slightly as he looked at Lydia. How the fuck could she know what they did or what he said, no it's not possible. She's just screwing around.

"He told me he loved me," Layla said a smile glowing on her face.

"Babes," Beetlejuice said shooting straight up and looking at her, "that is private stuff, no need to go shoutin' it around," he said through clenched teeth.

"Why not? I love you and you said you loved me and you meant it didn't you?" she asked looking at him, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"Course I did Babes, you know that I wouldn't say that shit unless I meant it," he muttered glancing sideways at Sloane. The asshole had the never to me smirking at him, he wanted to deck the bastard, but returned his attention back to Layla. Her dark amethyst eyes were boring into his and he swallowed and yanked on his tie and loosened the knot around his neck.

"If it's true and you do love me, then why would you mind if I told Sloane and Lydia?" she asked, her eyes never leaving his, "not to mention the fact that I wasn't yelling to the world, although I want to. There is nothing to be embarrassed about," she said, taking her hand away from Beetlejuice's and placed her hands on her hips.

Beetlejuice groaned as he looked at her and took her hand back into his own and gently rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. He smiled at her and it was like the parlor all over again, Sloane and Lydia disappeared from his sight and all he saw was Layla, his one true love. He knew he was getting mushy, damnit, but he couldn't help it either.

"I do love you Babes, you are the only chick I love and probably the only chick I'll ever love," he said looking at her and seeing her eyes soften in a way that made him kick himself for waiting so long to tell her.

"Awe, that's so cute," Sloane said unable to help himself and started to laugh.

Beetlejuice turned his attention on Sloane and narrowed his eyes. With a snap of his fingers Sloane was up in the air, upside down and spinning.

"No one calls me cute," he said and spun Sloane around so fast that his face and body became blurred.

"Beej knock it off," Lydia hissed at him and tried to catch Sloane's outstretched hands.

"He'll be fine," Layla said as she watched the kids come running back into the room, their eyes wide as they watched Sloane roll in the air.

"Knock…it…off…Beej," Sloane called through the spinning. He was getting sick and he knew that if it didn't stop right now he was going to throw up.

"What's going on?" Jordan asked his eyes darting back and forth as Sloane spun.

"This is what happens when you call your Uncle Beej cute, so never do it," Beej muttered as he kept spinning Sloane.

"Awe, but Uncle Beej, we wanna do that, it looks like fun," Chloe said running up and tugging on his arm.

"What?" Beetlejuice said and lost his concentration.

Sloane yelled as he came down to the floor in a crash. Lydia ran to him and put her arms around him as his body still kept in motion from the spinning.

"Watch out Honey, I think I'm gonna be sick," Sloane said as he tried to lift himself up on his hands and knees.

"Me next, oh please Uncle Beej, me next," Chloe said looking up at him, her eyes wide and bottom lip slightly pursed out.

Beetlejuice looked over at Layla who started to laugh and shake her head, her dark hair swinging around her as she looked at the kids.

"I don't see a problem with it Beej, "she said smiling as the kids danced around her.

Lydia just rolled her eyes as she watched her children, one by one, be lifted up into the air. "Make sure it's not fast," she said rubbing the back of Sloane's neck while she kept a hawk eye out.

"Ya ya Lyds," Beetlejuice muttered and rolled his eyes. Like he was going to treat the kids the same way he treated Sloane. He needed a lesson, the kids just wanted to have fun. He lifted them up and gently rolled them around the living room and through the air, spinning them slowly. All of them had their arms out in the air like they were flying.

"I wish we could do this all the time," Chloe said in a giggle, "I like to fly."

"I bet you do kid, you're a natural at it," Beetlejuice said smiling slightly as he glanced over at Layla. She had a soft look on her face, but he couldn't pinpoint what she was thinking about. A smile played upon her lips and she seemed relaxed, but he wanted to know what was on her mind. Turning his attention back to the kids he caught a flicker of Sloane, still a bit green around the gills and chuckled.

"Feelin' alright there bud?" he asked smirking.

"Shut up," Sloane said as he looked up and turned green again seeing the kids in the air.

Layla didn't pay much attention to what was going on with Lydia and Sloane, she knew that Lydia would take care of him and all would be well. She watched Beetlejuice with the kids, her mind racing through what had happened just a short while ago, when he mentioned that she could get pregnant. It had never occurred to her that she could have the chance to be a mother. The thought warmed her to her very heart and she melted as she watched him interact with Lydia's children. Such good kids, she thought and smiled, and he's so good with them. He would be a good father and he loves me. Her smile broadened and she knew that it was plain on her face that she was in love. She didn't mind one bit, let everyone know, the entire universe for all she cared. She loved Beetlejuice and he loved her. The sound of laughter brought her back to the children and she unconsciously lifted her hand to her stomach. What would it be like to be pregnant? To have a child with him, with the ghost that she loved so much? She sighed and sat back down on the couch and watched the children lightly land on the floor, groaning slightly.

"Sorry kiddies, rides over," he said and winked at them. He laughed as they all walked over and flopped on the couch next to Layla, who merely smiled at them and put her arms around Jordan and reached over to Riley and around Chloe.

"I have no idea what I'm going to do when I leave," she said softly.

"Leave?" all three of the children looked over at her, their eyes wide.

"Yeah kids, Layla's leaving in two days, she'll have to go to see Juno and sign her papers and then she's a free spirit, haunting requirements done," Beetlejuice explained as he sat down on the arm of the couch.

"Don't worry though I'll be here and so will Sloane," Lydia said seeing the heartbroken looks on her children's faces. She sighed, but she knew that they would miss Layla terribly, but she did say that she would visit and Lydia trusted her to do that. She had to admit that she would miss the ghost who became her friend, probably more than her children would. She looked over to see Layla and Beetlejuice and smiled a little bit, her hand stopping on Sloane's neck. They would both be leaving in a few days and she wasn't sure what would happen to the house. They were a family, even Beetlejuice she thought with a smirk. The annoying big brother to give shit to and she loved him for it. She sighed for a moment, deep in thought.

"What's the matter honey?" Sloane asked, the nausea starting to disappear from his stomach.

"Hm? Oh, just thinking about how much things will change," she said, her voice a little distant.

"Yeah, it'll change, but who says that has to be a bad thing. I'd kinda like a chance with the kids all to myself," he said and smiled at her.

Lydia looked down at Sloane and returned the smile. She did love him and she hoped that this time, her love would blossom into something great. "I'd like that too," she said and touched his face.


End file.
